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ARMENIA: 


ITS   PRESENT  CRISIS  AND 
PAST    HISTORY. 


BY 


H.    ALLEN   TUPPER,   JR.,   D.  D. 


JOHN    MURPHY   &   COMPANY, 
PUBLISHERS, 

BALTIMORE;  NEW  TOEK ; 

No.  a  W.  Baltimore  St.  No.  70  Fifth  Avenue. 

i8g6. 


CARPENTIOT 


Copyright,  1896,  by  H.  Allen  Tuppkr.  Jr. 


TO 

HENRY  ALJ.EN  TUPPER,  D.  D., 

THE  CULTURED  SCHOLAR,  THE   POLISHED  GENTLEMAN, 
THE  IDEAL   CHRISTIAN, 

THIS  LITTLE  CONTRIBUTION 
TO  A   GREAT  CAUSE   IS,  WJTH   FILIAL  LOVE, 

JBetifcateti  ij^  tt)e  ^ut|)or. 


839060 


PREFACE 


'1 1  ZHILE  in  Cairo  last  April,  during  my  trip  around 
^  '  the  world,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  editor  of 
one  of  our  American  daily  papers,  requesting  me  to  go 
into  Armenia,  and  write  from  the  ground ,  for  his  jour- 
nal, an  account  of  the  condition  of  affairs  that  existed 
among  this  persecuted  people,  as  contradictory  reports 
had  been  published  in  America.  This  little  work,  that 
I  now  offer  to  the  public,  is  the  result  of  my  observations 
and  experiences  during  a  two  months'  stay  in  the  Otto- 
man Empire.  I  am  indebted  to  a  number  of  persons 
for  many  of  the  facts  contained  in  this  volume ;  but  as, 
in  every  case,  information  was  given  me  with  the  distinct 
understanding  that  the  names  of  my  informants  should 
not  be  used,  I  am  prevented  from  giving  due  credit  to 
these  heroic  men  and  women,  whose  noble  work  for  the 
suffering  Armenians  would  be  greatly  hindered  if  word 
reached  the  Turkish  officials  that  they  were  expressing 
through  the  American  press  their  knowledge  of  the 
state  of  affairs  in  Armenia.  In  the  preparation  of  the 
historical  portion  of  the  book,  I  was  fortunate  in  having 
the  aid  of  an  Armenian  professor  of  Armenian  history 
in  Constantinople.  His  translations  from  the  original 
enable  me  to  present  for  the  first  time  in  English  certain 
important  data  bearing  on  the  national  life  of  a  people 

6 


6  PREFACE.    • 

whose  history,  so  singularly  checkered  with  glory  and 
gloom,  must  elicit  the  interest  and  sympathy  of  the 
civilized  world.  May  these  pages  hasten  the  dawning 
of  that  morning  when  the  dark  shadows  on  the  pathway 
of  the  Armenians  will  be  lifted  and  the  clouds  in  her 
sky  be  rifted ;  and  when  the  sun  of  a  new  day  will 
bring  life,  light  and  liberty  where  now  reign  death, 
darkness  and  despair. 


CONTENTS. 


F-ART    I. 

PRESENT   CRISIS. 

PAGE. 

The  City  of  the  Sultan 13 

Its  Name  and  History 14 

Life  and  Scenes 15 

The  Town  of  Scutari 15 

The  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia iQ 

Curious  Sepulchral  Chapels 17 

The  Bazars  and  their  Crowds 18 

The  Agony  of  the  Armenians 20 

The  Carnage  of  Shepik 22 

Rachel  weeping  for  her  Children 23 

Heart-rending  Sights.. 25 

Cruelty  of  Kurds  and  Soldiers 26 

Tortured  for  Taxes '. 28 

Turkish  Tyranny 29 

Official  Rottenness , 30 

Books  and  Press  Censorship 31 

Administrative  System 32 

Oppressive  Taxation 32 

Justice  with  a  Vengeance 33 

The  Massacre  at  Oor fa 35 

The  Victims  at  Biredjik 37 

Islam  or  the  Sword 38 

Lady  Teachers  Captured 38 

Distress  and  work  of  Relief 39 

A  Bit  of  History 41 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Their  Keligion  and  Clergy 42 

Culture  and  Education 43 

Traders  and  Farmers 43 

Home  and  Family 44 

An  Unmixed  Kace 45 

Appalling  Destitution 46 

Grinding  Oppression 47 

Kurdish  Robbers 48 

Pillage  and  Murder 49 

A  Piteous  Account 50 

The  Outbreak  at  Severek 52 

Moslem  Sympathy 53 

Begging  Widows 54 

The  First  Mohammedan  Massacre 54 

Broken  Treaties 55 

The  Treaty  of  Paris 56 

The  Treaty  of  Berlin  of  1878 57 

The  Cyprus  Treaty 59 

The  Reign  of  Terror  under  these  Treaties 59 

Relief  for  Armenians 61 

Aid  to  Refugees 62 

Industrial  Help 63 

Distribution  of  Money  and  Clothing 63 

Appeal  for  Contributions 65 

Danger  of  Epidemics 66 

A  Hopeless  Condition 67 

AtStamboul 69 

Atrocities  at  Zile 69 

The  Savage  Turk 71 

Piles  of  the  Murdered 73 

Oificial  Estimates 74 

Turkish  Statistics  for  Seven  Districts 75 

The  Situation  at  Gurun 76 

Distribution  Prohibited 77 

Attitude  of  the  Powers 80 

The  Work  of  Relief 81 

A  Colonization  Scheme 83 


CONTENTS.  9 

PAGE. 

Do  they  Wish  to  Emigrate? 83 

Will  the  Sultan  allow  it? 84 

Would  it  be  Practicable? 85 

Going  to  Cyprus 87 

Destitution  Increasing 87 

American  Missions 89 

Letters  from  Relief  Corps 90 

The  General  Distress 92 

Renewed  Massacres ; 93 

Utter  Desolation 95 

Foreign  Mission  Work 96 

American  Institutions 97 

Robert  College 98 

Light  for  Asia 99 

No  Conversions  Possible '. 100 

Civilizing  Influences 100 

A  Recapitulation 102 

In  regard  to  Place 102 

In  regard  to  Time 103 

The  Nationality  of  the  Victims 104 

The  Method  of  Killing  and  Pillaging 105 

Soldiers  Participate 106 

Blood  and  Booty  Estimates 107 

The  Motive  of  the  Turks 108 

Christendom's  Apathy 109 

Moslem  Mendacity , 110 

No  Provocation  Given Ill 

The  Spirit  of  Islamism 112 

Governmental  Connivance 112 

Duration  of  Massacres 113 

Turkish  Toleration 114 

Religious  Contention 115 

The  Latest  Acts  of  the  Great  Assassin  and  his  Followers...  116 

An  Intelligent  Armenian  Refugee  in  America  interviewed..  127 


10  CONTENTS. 


F»A.RT    II. 

PAST   HISTORY. 

PAGE. 

Primitive  History 139 

The  Kingdom  of  Arsacid  Dynasty 142 

I. — The  Reorganization  of  the  Government 143 

II. — The  Wars  of  Tigranes  II,  and  Mithridates  against 

the  Romans : ,» 144 

III. — Political  Revolution  in  Persia  and  its  Consequences 

in  Armenia 146 

IV. — Christianity  as  the  National  Religion  of  the  Ar- 
menians   147 

V. — The  Golden  Age  of  Armenian  Literature 148 

Persian  Dominion  (433-640) 151 

Arabian  Dominion  of  Armenia  (649-885) 156 

Kingdom  of  Pagratidae  (885-1045) 158 

Rupenian  Kingdom  (1080-1375) 164 

Armenians  in  Turkey 176 

Zeitoun 179 


PRESENT  CRISIS 


ARMENIA 


PRESENT  CRISIS 


The  City  of  the  Sultan, 

CONSTANTINOPLE,  or  Stamboul,  the  City 
of  the  Sultan,  is  located  on  the  western 
shore  of  the  Thracian  Bosphorus,  in  a  situation 
equally  remarkable  for  beauty  and  security. 

A  gently  declining  promontory,  secured  by  narrow 
seas,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Europe,  stretches  out 
to  meet  the  continent  of  Asia,  from  which  it  is  sepa- 
rated by  so  narrow  a  strait,  the  Bosphorus,  that  in 
fifteen  minutes,  you  can  row  from  one  continent  to 
another.  This  channel,  running  for  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  Black  Sea,  looks  like  a  stately  river, 
until  it  sweeps  by  the  angle  of  Constantinople,  and 
enters  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  but  just  before  it  is  lost 
in  that  sea,  it  makes  a  deep  elbow  between  the  tri- 

13 


!l*  ••:'.'' '*'o^o      ;   4..     AEMENIA. 

angle  of  Constantinople  proper,  and  its  foreign 
suburbs  of  Galata  and  Pera,  thus  forming  the  port 
of  the  Golden  Horn. 

Its  Name  and  History, 

At  this  corner  of  Thrace,  the  Megarian  leader 
Byzas  planted  the  City  of  Byzantium,  about  660 
B.  C.  It  was  taken  by  the  Romans,  A.  D.  73,  and 
here  Constantine  fixed  the  Eastern  seat  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  in  328-30,  calling  it  Constantinopolis,  the 
City  of  Constantine,  of  which  the  Orientals  make 
Stamboul,  from  the  Greek,  es  tan  polls,  or  "the 
city."  "  Room,"  or  Rome,  is  also  a  popular  name 
for  it  to  this  day,  and  the  province  in  which  it  stands, 
is  Roumeli,  which  name  appears  in  Roumania. 

Godfrey  de  Bouillon  was  here  in  the  first  crusade, 
1096-97,  in  the  reign  of  Alexius  Commenus.  It 
was  taken  by  the  Venetians  and  Franks,  led  by 
."Blind  old  Dandolo,"  and  held  till  1261,  during 
which  period  the  Greek  Emperors  reigned  at  Nicaea 
and  Trebizond.  Their  rule  terminated  with  its 
capture  by  the  Turks  in  1453  under  Mahomet  II 
after  fifty-three  days  siege. 

Stamboul,  like  its  prototype,  is  said  to  have  been 
built  on  seven  hills,  which  appear  to  rise  one  above 
another  in  beautiful  succession,  and  was  thirteen 
miles  in  circumference.  It  is  of  great  interest  to 
study  the  many  decaying  and  neglected  remains  of 
Roman  and  medieval  times  which  it  contains. 


ARMENIA.  15 


Life  and  Scenes, 


The  ridge  of  the  first  hill  is  occupied  by  the  Serag- 
lio, behind  which,  a  little  on  the  reverse  of  the  hill, 
the  imposing  dome  of  the  Santa  Sophia  can  be  seen. 
This  was  the  site  of  the  first  city  of  Byzantium. 

Four  of  the  hills  are  covered  with  magnificent 
mosques,  whose  domes  are  strikingly  bold  and  lofty. 
The  city  proper,  occupying  the  triangle  between  the 
Golden  Horn  and  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  is  partly 
surrounded  by  the  remains  of  decaying  walls,  which 
are  fast  disappearing. 

Galata,  founded  by  the  Genoese,  in  12!I6,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Golden  Horn,  is  joined  to  the 
main  city  by  an  iron  bridge,  and  is  the  chief  busi- 
ness quarter  for  European  merchants,  who,  strangely 
enough,  go  under  the  general  name  of  Franks. 

A  steep  street  leads  up  to  Pera,  which  stretches 
two  miles  along  a  hill,  and  is  the  residence  of  the 
diplomatic  corps  from  the  different  Nations  of  Europe, 
where  each  has  a  fine  palace.  The  tremendous 
conflagration  of  1870,  swept  away  a  great  part  of 
Pera,  destroying  6,000  houses,  including  the  British 
Embassy. 

The  Town  of  Scutari, 

Scutari  is  a  mile  and  half  across  the  Bosphorus 
from  Galata,  and  is  mostly  inhabited  by  Turks, 
Greeks  and  Armenians.  Here  are  located  the  Sul- 
tan Selim  Barracks,  used  as  the  English  military 
hospital,  during  the  Crimean  war,  and  which  are 


16  ARMENIA. 

especially  noted  as  the  scenes  of  Miss  Nightingale's 
heroic  and  memorable  labors.  In  the  adjacent  ceme- 
tery are  buried  8,000  English  soldiers,  victims  of 
that  terrible  struggle. 

From  the  hill  of  Bulgarin,  overlooking  the  column 
of  Marochetti  in  the  military  cemetery,  a  splendid 
panorama  of  Constantinople  is  had,  taking  in  the 
Black  Sea,  Therapia  and  Buyukdere,  on  the  Bos- 
phorus,  the  castles  of  Europe  and  Asia  near  the 
water,  and  the  Golden  Horn.  On  this  hill,  where 
ancient  Chrysopolis  was  located,  Constantine  defeated 
his  enemy  and  rival,  Licinus,  A.  D.  325,  and  not 
far  from  this  place  of  victory,  the  great  conqueror 
was  conquered  by  his  last  enemy. 

On  entering  the  city,  the  visitor  is  first  attracted 
by  the  wilderness  of  mosques  and  minarets.  Within 
the  walls  there  are  16  imperial  mosques,  150  ordinary 
ones,  and  200  mesjids,  the  last  of  which  are  only 
distinguished  as  being  places  of  worship,  by  having 
little  minarets  or  towers  contiguous  to  them. 

The  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia, 

I  shall  speak  of  only  one  of  these  mosques,  which 
is  the  most  wonderful  building  of  its  kind  in  the 
world.  St.  Sophia  was  dedicated,  A.  D.  360,  to 
Agia  Sophia,  "  Holy  wisdom,'^  by  Constantine  II, 
the  son  of  Constantine  the  Great,  and  was  rebuilt 
by  Justinian,  532-48,  in  the  shape  of  a  Greek  cross. 

Among  the  numerous  pillars  brought  from  all 
parts  of  the   Empire  are  some   from   Delos  and 


AEMENIA.  17 

Baalbek ;  six  of  green  jasper  from  the  Temple  of 
Diana  at  Ephesus,  and  eight  of  porphyry,  which 
had  been  placed  by  Aurelian  in  the  Temple  of 
the  Sun  at  Rome,  and  were  removed  here  by 
Constantine. 

It  is  an  immense  marble  basilica,  270  by  245  feet, 
with  sixteen  bronze  gates  and  a  stupendous  dome, 
115  feet  across,  adorned  with  mosaic  work.  It  is 
illuminated  with  globes  of  crystal  and  lamps  of 
colored  glass  at  the  Ramadan,  and  ornamented  with 
ostrich  eggs  and  flags. 

On  Fridays  you  can  count  the  worshippers  by 
the  thousands,  and  from  the  great  galleries  you  are 
allowed  to  watch  the  congregation  of  believers  at 
prayers,  with  their  faces  turned  towards  Mecca. 

Every  mosque  has,  in  general,  a  large  area  in 
front,  surrounded  by  a  lofty  colonnade  of  marble, 
with  gates  of  wrought  brass,  and  in  the  centre,  a 
fountain  of  polished  marble. 

Curious  Sepulchral  Chapels. 

Adjoining  each  is  the  sepulchral  chapel  of  its 
founder. 

Some  of  these  tombs,  in  which  the  Sultans,  Vi- 
ziers, and  other  personages  repose,  are  exceedingly 
handsome,  others  in  their  workmanship  defy  all 
laws  of  art,  and  display  a  decided  genius  on  the  part 
of  the  builders,  for  making  what  is  supposed  to  be 
very  solemn,  exceedingly  laughable. 
2 


18  ARMENIA. 

Looking  through  the  grated  windows,  you  see 
the  coffins,  surmounted  by  shawls  and  turbans,  and 
slightly  elevated  from  the  floor,  with  lamps  continu- 
ally burning,  and  immense  wax  torches,  which  are 
lighted  on  particular  occasions. 

The  slender  and  graceful  minarets  form  one  of  the 
pleasing  features  in  the  architecture  of  Constanti- 
nople, and  two,  four,  or  even  six  of  these  are  con- 
nected with  some  of  the  mosques.  Near  the  summit 
there  is  a  little  gallery,  from  which,  at  the  five  ap- 
pointed times  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  the  Muezzin 
calls  the  Mohammedan  to  prayer. 

A  fountain,  with  its  marble  font,  elaborate  ara- 
besque ornaments,  and  Chinese-like  roof,  stands  by 
every  mosque,  for  before  a  Turk  prostrates  himself 
in  prayer,  he  must  perform  his  ablutions.  The  sup- 
ply for  the  many  fountains  in  the  city,  is  brought 
from  artificial  lakes  in  the  forest,  about  twelve  miles 
from  the  city,  by  means  of  subterranean  aqueducts, 
and  hydraulic  pyramids,  contrived  so  as  to  overcome 
the  inequalities  of  the  surface. 

The  Bazars  and  their  Crowds, 

The  bazars,  where  you  see  the  people  acting 
naturally,  are  much  more  interesting  than  the 
mosques.  The  former  consist  of  lofty  cloisters  or 
corridors  built  of  stone,  and  lighted  by  domes, 
which,  during  the  hot  hours  of  the  day,  afford 
a  pleasant  retreat. 


ARMENIA.  19 

The  Grand  Bazar,  called  Bezesteen,  is  a  hive  of 
small  shops  walled  in  with  thirty-two  gates,  and 
here,  as  nowhere  else  in  Constantinople,  or  perhaps 
in  the  world  (with  the  exception  of  Cairo),  can  you 
see  displayed  the  brilliant,  ever-changing  picture  of 
Oriental  life  to  such  perfection. 

A  world  in  miniature  is  continually  moving  to 
and  fro.  In  the  bewildering  multitude  of  national- 
ities, you  get  a  glimpse  of  the  Albanian,  with 
his  tasseled  cap,  white  short  skirts,  flashing  scarf, 
buckskin  leggins,  and  bright  rosettes  on  his  toes ; 
the  swaggering  Turk,  looking  little  like  he  was 
a  member  of  a  corrupt  and  bankrupt  nation, 
with  his  turban  and  flowing  robes,  or  puffing  a 
cigarette  under  a  jockey  red  fez,  and  over  ill- 
fitting  European  vest  and  trousers ;  comical-look- 
ing women,  waddling  along  in  formless  sacks  for 
dresses,  their  faces  hidden,  lest  some  one  should 
be  stricken  by  their  bashful  loveliness ;  and  an 
army  of  beggars,  soldiers,  priests,  patriarchs — each 
one  a  drop,  in  the  rushing,  rolling,  rumbling  stream 
of  humanity. 

It  matters  little  how  interesting  may  be  the  pala- 
tial residences  and  busy  streets  of  a  great  city,  when 
the  brain  is  tired  reflecting  upon  the  methods  and 
manners  of  man,  it  is  joyful  and  restful  to  hie  away 
from  these  scenes  and  find  repose  in  some  rural  place, 
at  the  foot  of  a  noble  mountain,  or  by  the  side  of  a 
leaping,  laughing,  limpid  stream,  or  on  the  banks  of 
a  beautiful  bay. 


20  AEMENIA. 

Taking  a  steamer  across  the  Bosphorus  (so  called 
after  lo,  who  swam  over  it  in  the  shape  of  a  heifer), 
you  soon  reach  a  pretty  spot  beyond  a  little  village 
on  the  Asiatic  side  at  the  bend  of  the  water.  Here 
you  have  at  once  the  mountain,  the  brooklet,  and 
the  bay.  From  the  summit  of  the  Giant's  Hill, 
there  is  a  striking  view  of  the  shores  of  several  seas, 
and  the  nearly  united  lands  of  two  continents. 

As  this  picturesque  panorama  spread  before  him, 
the  poetic  soul  of  Byron  went  forth  in  the  exclama- 
tion :  "  'Tis  a  grand  sight,  from  off  the  Giant's  Grave, 
to  watch  the  progress  of  those  rolling  seas,  between 
the  Bosphorus  as  they  lash  and  lave  Europe  and 
Asia." 

The  Agony  of  the  Armenians, 

I  visited  several  cities  and  towns  in  different  parts 
of  Asia  Minor,  seeking  to  gather  from  the  most 
reliable  sources,  the  exact  facts  in  reference  to  the 
massacres  of  the  Armenians,  and  the  present  con- 
dition of  the  thousands  who  were  plundered  and 
left  by  the  Kurds  and  Turkish  soldiers,  without 
homes  or  food.  The  worst  reports  that  at  first  came 
to  me,  were  more  than  confirmed. 

Although  I  tried  to  show  prudence  and  discretion 
in  all  my  movements,  I  learned  through  a  European 
who  has  lived  in  Constantinople  for  years,  that 
Turkish  spies  were  becoming  suspicious  of  my 
activity  in  certain  directions,  and  I  was  advised  by 
no  means  to  have  the  interview  with  the  Armenian 


ARMENIA.  21 

Patriarch,  that  had  been  arranged  for  one  afternoon. 
My  friend  sent  me  this  message :  "  I  am  quite  sure 
if  you  go  to  the  patriarch's  house  this  afternoon,  you 
will  have  several  of  these  spies  watching  you,  and  this 
act  of  yours  will  give  them  occasion  to  be  more  watch- 
ful, and  the  result  will  be,  that  your  papers  will  be 
examined,  and  you  may  be  greatly  inconvenienced." 

I  exceedingly  regretted  this,  for  the  head  of  the 
Armenian  Church  had  expressed  a  willingness  to 
communicate  fully  on  the  subject  of  the  calamity 
that  has  befallen  his  people,  an  interpreter  had  been 
spoken  for,  and  I  hoped  to  secure  from  this  venerable 
father,  information  that  would  prove  of  much  interest 
to  my  readers. 

Nevertheless,  I  came  into  possession  of  a  great  deal 
of  trustworthy  data,  through  the  testimony  of  some 
who  have  suffered  in  the  plundered  towns  of  the 
interior,  several  of  the  missionaries  who  have  visited 
these  places,  the  agent  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance 
from  England,  who  is  distributing  funds  among  the 
suffering  Armenians,  and  the  United  States  Consul 
at  Constantinople. 

The  following  reports  contain  the  latest  and  most 
reliable  news  from  villages  and  districts  which  have 
not  received  my  attention  in  former  communications, 
and  whose  fearful  fate  has  not  been  made  known 
hitherto  through  the  American  Press.  Every  day, 
from  different  parts  of  the  devastated  region,  I  re- 
ceived additional  facts,  which  add  to  the  horrors  of 
the  situation.     The  following  is  a  translation  of  an 


22  ARMENIA. 

Armenian  letter  from  Shepik,  a  village  near  Harpoot, 
Turkey : 

"  The  plundering  Company  that  attacked  us,  was 
led  by  Sard  Chechecklee  Kours  Oglilou,  who,  with 
400  armed  followers  came  to  the  village  and  fired 
upon  it  until  noon.  Afterward,  some  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  village  went  to  understand  what  was 
their  purpose  in  plundering  us.  After  consultation, 
a  hundred  Turkish  pounds  were  paid  as  a  ransom, 
but  they  would  not  go.  '  You  must  give  us  your 
watches  also,'  they  said.  We  gave  them  up,  but 
still  they  would  not  go.  '  You  must  give  us  your 
weapons  as  well/  We  gave  these,  but  still  they 
would  not  go.  '  We  are  going  to  take  the  grain,  the 
oxen  and  the  cattle.'  They  took  them,  and  were  still 
unsatisfied.  '  We  are  going  to  hunt  through  your 
houses,  and  take  whatever  pleases  us.'  This  they 
did,  and  went  ofiP  with  all  the  valuable  things." 

The  Carnage  at  Shepik, 

"  When  day  became  night,  we  thought  the  danger 
had  passed,  and  that  we  were  safe,  but  in  vain. 
The  next  morning  the  Turks  from  the  surrounding 
villages  attacked  us  and  threatened  to  kill  us  if  we 
did  not  leave  our  houses,  so  we  went  outside,  and 
they  entered  and  plundered.  For  eight  days,  they 
burned  the  houses  as  they  emptied  them.  Only  ten 
or  twelve  of  the  poorer  houses  were  not  burned,  but 
the  doors  and  windows  were  carried  off,  and  even 


ARMENIA.  23 

the  rafters  of  some  were  taken  away.  After  this, 
they  rushed  upon  the  women  and  children  and  took 
off  their  shoes  and  clothing.  On  the  eighth  day 
as  they  had  finished  their  work,  they  came  to  us 
who  were  on  the  banks  of  the  stream.  They  killed 
Brother  Baghdo's  son,  and  Pastor  Melcon  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream,  because  they  would  not 
change  their  religion.  It  became  night.  Darkness 
was  upon  us,  but  they  came  with  lanterns,  and 
selected  forty-five  of  the  young  men,  saying  that  the 
government  wanted  them.  Knowing  what  would 
befall  them,  they  asked  for  an  hour's  grace.  They 
prayed  and  sang ;  they  asked  forgiveness  of  each 
other ;  they  kissed  the  hands  of  their  parents,  and 
parted  with  the  expectation  of  never  again  seeing 
each  other.  Taking  them  to  a  desolate  place,  half 
an  hour  distant,  they  were  taken  apart,  two  by  two, 
and  threatened  with  death  if  they  would  not  change 
their  religion.  They  all,  with  one  voice,  agreed  in 
saying  boldly,  '  We  will  not  deny  our  religion.  We 
are  ready  to  die  for  our  Saviour's  love.'  Only  five 
succeeded  in  making  their  escape,  but  the  remaining 
forty  became  martyrs  for  the  love  of  Jesus.  My  son, 
Samuel,  was  among  the  forty-five,  but  he  escaped 
with  four  others,  and  hid  in  a  cave  for  ten  or  twelve 
days.  My  youngest  son,  twenty-two  years  old,  was 
killed." 

Eccchel  weeping  for  her  Children, 

"  How  heart-rending  was  the  sight !     A  week 
before,  we  were  in  our  homes,  comfortable,  having 


24  ARMENIA. 

made  every  preparation  for  the  winter,  having  our 
friends  about  us  ;  but  like  Job,  ^  we  were  deprived 
of  everything,  dwelling-house,  furniture,  beds,  food, 
and  clothing.  With  heads  uncovered,  with  feet  bare, 
little  clothing  upon  us,  we  passed  from  rock  to  rock, 
from  mountain  to  mountain,  with  great  wailing  and 
lamentation  to  find  our  children  :  '  Rachel  weeping 
for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because 
they  were  not.' 

-  "After  wandering  about  several  days,  and  remain- 
ing hungry,  we  put  aside  every  fear  and  went  to  the 
city  (Arabkir)  for  help,  but  in  vain.  I  forgot  to  say, 
that  when  the  first  attack  was  made,  seven  young 
men  went  to  the  city  to  inform  the  government. 
They  were  imprisoned  and  unable  to  return  to  us. 
A  few  days  later  one  of  them  tried  to  get  away, 
but  he  was  killed  by  the  government. 

"  Twice,  the  government  sent  us  grain  for  bread, 
but  it  was  only  enough  to  make  two  and  a  half  loaves 
for  each  person  (about  the  amount  given  to  a  soldier 
for  a  day's  rations),  and  this  was  to  last  us  ten  or 
twelve  days.  The  wheat  was  burnt,  and  mice  had 
been  at  it,  so  that  it  was  too  bitter  to  eat. 

"  Many  were  at  last  obliged  to  go  to  Egin  to  try 
to  find  food,  and  I  am  thankful  to  say,  that  they 
received  us;  but  with  all  the  villages  about  them 
plundered,  to  which  shall  they  render  help? 

"All  that  we  have  is  common  property.  We  have 
returned  to  our  village,  and  are  crowded  into  the  ten 
remaining  houses.     There  are  no  doors,  there  are  no 


ARMENIA.  25 

windows,  there  is  no  bread,  there  is  not  even  an 
earthen  dish  in  which  to  cook  anything,  if  we  had 
it.  We  have  no  money,  no  beds.  We  sleep  on 
the  dry  boughs  of  trees.  Many  of  our  number 
become  sick,  and  as  many  as  ten  have  died  from 
cold,  hunger  and  exposure." 

Heart-rending  Sights, 

From  Erzeroum  the  following  thrilling  tale  of 
woe  has  just  reached  me:  This  morning,  villagers 
from  a  centre  called  Terjan  came  to  Erzeroum  for  aid. 
Their  stories  were  sad  indeed.  Their  very  appear- 
ance was  an  eloquent  appeal  for  charity.  They  came 
a  distance  of  eighteen  hours  across  two  mountain 
ranges  deep  in  snow. 

One  man,  who  represented  a  village,  who,  prior 
to  the  massacre,  was  comparatively  wealthy,  who 
could  accommodate  eighteen  or  twenty  guests  at  a 
time,  and  whose  house  was  open  to  all  comers,  was 
now  covered  with  rags.  Through  the  holes  in  his 
thin  cotton  trousers  could  be  seen  his  bare  legs.  You 
.could  not  suggest  a  more  meagre  covering,  if,  instead 
of  winter  blasts,  from  which  he  had  suffered  for 
months,  he  had  to  contend  with  August  heat. 

A  leader  in  another  village,  dressed  somewhat 
better,  touched  one's  sympathy  in  a  different  way.  He 
was  a  giant  in  stature,  but  was  so  badly  cut  to  pieces 
by  the  cruel  swords  of  the  soldiers,  that  both  arms 
were  crippled.  * 


26  AEMENIA. 

The  villagers,  whom  these  men  represented,  needed 
everything  that  a  human  being  can  need.  No  mat- 
tress or  bed-covering  was  left  them,  and  during  the 
winter  months,  they  have  all  slept  in  straw  or  hay. 
This  is  the  way  they  have  managed  for  the  night. 
First,  they  throw  straw  on  the  floor,  and  then  all 
but  one  lie  down  as  closely  as  possible  and  the  one 
on  foot  covers  those  who  have  lain  down,  with  hay, 
and  then  himself  crawls  under  the  hay  as  best  he  can. 
Some  of  the  villagers  were  plundered  at  intervals, 
for  forty  days  by  the  Kurds.  In  the  case  of  one 
village  all  who  escaped  the  sword,  fled  to  the  moun- 
tains, where  they  remained  three  weeks,  not  daring 
to  return  to  their  homes.  During  this  time  they  had 
no  clothing  but  what  they  happened  to  have  on  when 
the  raid  was  made.  The  weather  was  still  cold. 
Twenty  children  were  born  to  these  villagers  upon 
the  mountain  side,  but  not  one  of  them  survived  the 
exposure.  From  these  villages,  ten  girls  were  kid- 
napped, and  not  one  of  them  has  been  allowed  to 
return. 

Cruelty  of  Kurds  and  Soldiers. 

Turks  and  Kurds  are  after  virgins.  Brides  are 
somewhat  more  exempt  from  violence,  so  the  villa- 
gers went  to  work  and  married  all  their  girls  over 
eight  years  of  age,  as  a  means  of  protection  from 
these  devilish  brutes.  In  the  thirty-two  villages 
composing  the  Terjan  group,  there  is  not  an  unmar- 
ried girl  over  eight  years  old,  to  be  found. 


ARMENIA.  27 

Even  if  the  past  terrible  experiences  were  all, 
these  poor  patient  people  would  take  up  the  broken 
thread  and  begin  life  again,  but  they  still  live  under 
the  anxiety  and  terror  of  daily  death.  They  never 
lie  down  with  the  assurance  of  being  unmolested 
till  morning,  and  they  never  rise  with  the  confidence 
that  they  will  see  another  night.  They  dare  not  go 
from  one  village  to  another. 

Their  women  seldom  venture  out  of  doors.  They 
are  in  the  saddest  bondage.  In  spite  of  all  their 
devices  to  protect  their  women,  no  man  dares  to  call 
his  wife  his  own,  or  protect  his  daughter  when  the 
unpunished  and  armed  villains  come. 

The  Kurds  and  the  regular  soldiers  of  his  Ma- 
jesty come  to  a  village  and  settle  down  in  it  for  a 
few  days.  They  demand  whatever  they  want,  and 
it  must  be  forthcoming.  Thus,  villages  which  have 
not  been  plundered  in  the  regular  way,  are  often 
impoverished. 

Some  weeks  ago,  a  sum  of  money  sent  by  the 
Sultan  to  be  distributed  among  these  plundered  vil- 
lagers, was  carried  by  mounted  soldiers  to  its  desti- 
nation. Of  this  sum,  two  silver  mej idles,  (a  little 
less  than  seven  shillings)  fell  to  one  of  these  villages. 
It  was  brought  by  five  mounted  soldiers,  who,  after 
delivering  the  money  to  the  village  elders,  settled 
down  upon  the  village,  and  remained  twelve  days, 
demanding  meanwhile,  the  best  food  available  for 
themselves  and  horses.  It  is  estimated,  that  each 
soldier  with  his  horse,  cost  the  villagers  a  mejidie  a 


28  ARMENIA. 

day,  or  in  all,  thirty  times  more  than  the  money 
brought  for  the  relief  of  the  smitten  and  plundered 
people. 

Tortured  for  Taxes, 

In  some  places  the  government  has  compelled  the 
Kurdish  robbers  to  return  a  part  of  their  plunder, 
and  then  has  sent  soldiers  to  collect  taxes  from  the 
wretched  villagers.  Thus  the  poor  people  have  been 
compelled  to  sell  the  very  goods  returned  to  them, 
to  pay  taxes.  In  many,  many  cases  this  has  not 
sufficed,  and  the  wretched  villagers  have  been  tor- 
tured. 

Listen  to  the  story  of  one  poor  villager,  who  had 
not  a  farthing  to  give  and  nothing  to  sell.  The 
soldiers  passed  a  chain  around  the  small  of  this 
man's  back  in  such  a  way  that  it  would  tighten 
when  drawn  up.  The  end  of  the  chain  was  then 
drawn  over  a  beam  and  the  man  pulled  up,  and 
taxes  demanded.  He  protested  that  he  had  no 
money  and  no  way  of  procuring  money.  The  pres- 
sure of  the  chain  was  so  severe  as  to  cause  the  man 
agony,  but  for  some  time  he  was  subjected  to  this 
torture,  and  when  at  last  lowered  to  the  floor,  the 
blood  streamed  from  his  mouth  and  nose. 

Other  modes  of  torture  are  resorted  to,  to  compel 
the  villagers  to  find  money  for  taxes.  Modes  of 
torture  that  are  so  diabolical  and  indecent  that  they 
cannot  be  recounted.  As  many  of  these  villagers 
as  can  get  away,  are  crossing  the  Russian  border, 


ARMENIA.  29 

but  for  family  and  financial  reasons,  many  cannot 
go.  And  thus  they  remain,  like  frightened  sheep 
without  a  shepherd,  momentarily  expecting  the  wolf. 
The  way  these  poor  people  look  into  one's  face  and 
ask,  "  What  is  going  to  become  of  us,"  is  enough  to 
melt  a  heart  of  stone.  The  entreaty  depicted  on 
their  countenances,  as  they  intently  look  into  your 
eyes,  for  at  least  a  shadow  of  a  hope  of  relief,  is  so 
touching,  that  one  sometimes  wishes  to  run  away  and 
relieve  his  feelings  in  tears.  The  nervous  strain 
caused  by  listening  to  the  recitals  of  these  poor 
villagers  is  so  intense,  that  one  retires  from  the 
interview  completely  exhausted.  There  is  only  one 
thing  that  relieves  the  strain,  and  that  is  the  evi- 
dently sincere  gratitude  of  the  people  for  the  slightest 
charity.  The  blessings  of  God  upon  those  who  give 
but  a  cup  of  cold  water  for  their  relief.  In  taking 
farewell  of  a  consecrated  woman  who  has  personally 
watched  the  massacres  and  tortures  of  these  defence- 
less Armenians  for  months,  she  exclaimed,  "But,  my 
dear  sir,  no  language  can  portray  the  past  and  present 
suffering  of  these  wretched  people.  No  hell  can  be 
more  terrible." 

Turkish  Tyranny, 

It  is  impossible  for  the  citizens  of  free  America, 
who  have  never  visited  the  Ottoman  Empire,  to 
imagine  the  corruption  of  the  Turkish  government. 
From  the  most  subordinate  officer  to  the  Sultan  him- 
self, this  official  rottenness  is  traceable ;  and  how  the 


30  ARMENIA. 

thing  has  held  together  for  so  long  is  a  wonder  of 
wonders.  As  this  terrible  state  of  affairs  is  sup- 
posed to  be  kept  in  secrecy  from  the  outside  world, 
and  a  man's  head  is  at  stake  if  he  is  caught 
speaking  or  writing  on  the  subject  while  in  these 
regions,  I  have  found  no  little  difficulty,  although 
I  have  had  the  aid  of  a  discreet  native  inter- 
preter, to  reach  the  reliable  facts  that  are  now  in 
my  possession. 

In  the  shop,  on  the  farm,  and  within  the  humble 
family  circle,  through  my  assistant,  I  have  inter- 
viewed a  number  of  inhabitants  of  this  cursed  land, 
and  everywhere,  the  same  sad  story  of  governmental 
injustice,  dishonesty  and  oppression  is  heard. 

Official  Rottenness, 

Here,  the  seed  of  patriotism  is  crushed,  if  it  ever 
existed  at  all.  Here,  the  young  Turk,  it  matters 
not  how  noble  may  be  his  ambition,  in  commercial, 
civic,  or  military  life,  has  no  opportunity  for  its 
expansion.  Here  the  farmer  is  yearly  and  system- 
atically robbed  by  the  merciless  agents  of  the  govern- 
ment at  Constantinople,  and  here  an  official  premium 
is  put  on  any  and  every  vice,  from  which  the  Sultan 
can  possibly  receive  a  revenue. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts,  it  is  not  a  matter  of 
surprise  that  every  influence  from  without,  that  has 
a  tendency  to  reveal  or  improve  the  condition  of  the 
country,  is  indignantly  opposed  by  the  government, 


ARMENIA.  31 

and  that  the  basest  deception  is  perpetrated  to  mislead 
the  nations  of  the  civilized  world. 


Books  and  Press  Censorship, 

No  publication  is  allowed  in  the  country,  that  is 
not  first  carefully  examined  by  agents  of  the  Sultan. 
If  a  book  is  written,  it  matters  not  upon  what  subject 
it  treats,  the  original  manuscript  must  be  sent  to 
Constantinople,  and  is  closely  read  by  a  committee 
created  for  the  purpose.  Every  word  that  is  at  all 
objectionable,  is  expunged.  The  revised  manuscript 
is  sent  back,  after  a  copy  is  taken.  At  the  author's 
expense,  an  edition  of  only  two  copies  of  the  book 
is  first  published,  one  of  which  is  sent  on  to  be 
compared  with  the  copy,  which  is  retained,  and  if 
there  is  the  least  variation,  the  volume  is  not  allowed 
to  see  the  light  of  day.  Nothing  can  be  published, 
which  gives  the  people  information  about  the  true 
government  of  the  land,  and  no  word  is  printed 
about  the  doings  of  other  nations,  which  would  have 
a  tendency  to  give  rise  to  a  comparison  between  the 
way  of  doing  things  in  the  Ottoman  Empire,  and 
elsewhere.  When  the  President  of  the  French 
Eepublic  was  assassinated,  the  order  went  out  from 
the  Sultan,  that  no  word  which  corresponds  with 
"  assassinate  "  or  "  murder  "  should  be  used  in  the 
report  of  the  event,  but  it  should  be  circulated  that 
the  President  died  of  a  lingering  disease.  I  was  in 
a  Syrian  village,  when  the  news  of  the  murder  of 


32  ARMENIA. 

the  Shah  of  Persia  reached  the  place.  A  Mohamme- 
dan, at  the  head  of  a  printing  establishment,  told  me 
that  the  same  deception  would  be  perpetrated  by  the 
press  of  the  country.  The  Sultan,  knowing  his  own 
unpopularity,  is  not  willing  that  his  people  should  be 
educated  in  the  art  of  easily  getting  rid  of  a  hated 
ruler. 

Administrative  System, 

The  large  cities  are  ruled  by  Pashas ;  the  towns 
have  over  them,  Governors ;  and  the  villages  have 
Sheiks.  A  man  receives  and  holds  his  appointment 
only  because  he  pays  for  it  more  than  any  one  else 
is  able  or  willing  to  pay.  The  idea  of  efficiency, 
does  not  enter  into  the  question  at  all. 

A  few  weeks  ago,  a  man  living  near  Damascus, 
found  out  through  a  spy,  what  the  governor  of  the 
place  was  paying  to  hold  his  office.  He  consulted 
with  his  friends,  as  to  how  much  he  could  make  out 
of  the  office,  sent  a  higher  offer  to  the  Sultan  than 
the  acting  governor  had  made,  and  was  immediately 
installed. 

This  principle,  or  rather  lack  of  principle,  holds 
in  reference  to  every  office  under  the  government. 
Everything  is  for  revenue  only. 

Oppressive  Taxation. 

The  tax  collection  system,  is  one  of  the  most 
wretchedly  unjust  in  the  world.    The  whole  thing  is 


ARMENIA.  33 

farmed  out  to  the  highest  bidder.  The  one  who  gets 
the  position  of  tax  collector  for  a  district,  must  neces- 
sarily pay  the  government  an  exorbitant  price  for  the 
privilege ;  the  money  is  in  nearly  every  case  borrowed 
to  send  in  advance  to  Constantinople,  and  now,  in 
order  to  re-imburse  himself,  and  make  money,  the 
collector  goes  to  work  on  the  long-suffering  citizens, 
and  with  the  soldiers  that  are  placed  at  his  disposal, 
the  most  cruel  extortion  is  enacted. 

According  to  the  written  law  (which  is  a  snare 
and  a  delusion)  he  is  allowed  to  collect  one-tenth 
of  the  produce  of  a  farm.  On  three  farms,  I  was 
shown  how  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  whole  crop  went 
into  the  pockets  of  the  collectors. 

An  old  man  who  owns  an  olive  orchard,  told  me 
that  he  gave  in  a  true  report  of  the  yield  of  his 
place,  as  ten  barrels  of  oil.  The  legal  tax  would 
have  been  one  barrel  of  the  stuff,  but  the  collector 
reported  the  yield  of  the  orchard  as  eighty  barrels 
of  oil,  taking  one- tenth  of  this,  leaving  two  barrels 
for  the  owner  of  the  orchard. 

This  instance  may  induce  certain  ward  politicians 
in  America  to  leave  their  seemingly  lucrative  busi- 
ness, and  apply  for  a  job  under  the  gracious  Sultan. 

Justice  with  a  Vengeance, 

To  illustrate  how  justice,  so  called,  is  adminis- 
tered, let  me  give  a  case  in  point,  the  truth  of  which 
is  vouched  for  by  an  American,  who  has  lived  in  this 
3 


34  ARMENIA. 

country  for  thirty-five  years,  and  who  is  personally 
acquainted  with  the  characters  involved. 

A  wealthy  man  by  the  name  of  Aly,  made  accu- 
sation against  his  enemy  Jacob,  and  swore  in  court, 
that  he  owed  him  100,000  francs.  For  about  six- 
pence each,  he  bribed  two  witnesses  to  testify  for 
him.  The  accused  was  brought  before  the  judge, 
and  although  he  did  not  owe  a  cent  in  the  world, 
he  confessed  judgment,  but  declared  that  his  accuser 
owed  him  200,000  francs,  and  that  he  was  waiting 
patiently  for  a  settlement. 

Being  asked  to  produce  his  witnesses,  he  started 
out  to  secure  them,  but  A.ly  requested  the  judge  to 
send  a  guard  along,  to  prevent  him  bribing  men  to 
testify  in  his  behalf.  The  Chief  of  Police  was  sent 
with  him.  Jacob,  after  walking  about  for  some 
time,  slipped  a  Turkish  pound  into  the  chiePs  hand; 
the  head  of  the  Police  took  him  to  his  office,  where 
two  witnesses  were  bribed  for  a. few  pennies;  they 
returned  to  court,  and  after  secret  consultation  with 
the  judge,  and  testimony  of  new-bought  witnesses, 
judgment  was  given  in  favor  of  Jacob,  who  paid  the 
100,000  francs,  that  he  didn't  owe  Aly,  and  collected 
the  200,000  francs  that  Aly  didn't  owe  him.  This, 
verily,  is  justice  with  a  vengeance. 

I  despair  of  being  able  to  give  any  adequate 
impression  of  the  terrible  condition  of  affairs  in 
Armenia.  One  must  be  on  Turkish  soil,  and  hear 
for  himself  the  heart-rending  tales  of  torture  and 
torment,  to  have  any  just  conception  of  the  scenes 


ARMENIA.  35 

that  have  been  enacted,  and  the  fearful  ordeal  through 
which  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Armenians  are  now 
passing.  It  is  now  openly  confessed  by  certain  Mo- 
hammedans, that  the  systematic  massacres  that  went 
on  from  village  to  village  was  simply  the  prosecution 
of  a  plan  well  understood  by  the  Turks,  to  exter- 
minate all  native  Christians  in  Armenia,  and  it  is 
generally  believed  that  the  Sultan  ordered  these 
massacres,  those  who  led  the  blood-thirsty  business 
being  under  his  appointment. 

Four  days  ago,  I  went  as  near  the  town  of  Oorfa 
as  I  was  allowed  to  go,  and  from  the  most  reliable 
sources  I  have  positive  proof  of  Ottoman  persecu- 
tions, more  diabolical  than  any  reported  through 
the  American  or  English  Press. 

The  Massacre  at  Oorfa, 

So  far  as  magnitude  is  concerned,  Oorfa  heads  the 
list,  with  fully  8,000  victims  in  the  last  massacre 
alone.  The  number  sacrificed  in  the  great  church 
where  they  had  fled  for  safety,  is  now  ascertained  to 
be  about  4,000,  and  in  the  streets  and  suburbs  of 
the  village  nearly  the  same  number  of  bodies  were 
found,  cut  and  mangled  most  terribly. 

It  is  evident,  that  if  special  honorable  recogni- 
tion by  his  Majesty,  the  Imperial  Sultan,  is  to  be 
bestowed  upon  those  of  his  loyal  warriors  who  have 
carried  out  the  task  assigned  them  on  the  grandest 


36  AEMENIA. 

and  the  most  Satanic  scale,  his  Oorfa  legion  will 
come  in  for  the  highest  rewards. 

A  private  letter  from  a  missionary,  who  is  at 
present  in  Oorfa,  that  is  before  me  as  I  write, 
explains  what  has  hitherto  been  mere  conjecture — 
namely,  as  to  how  the  Turkish  soldiers  succeeded 
in  burning  these  4,000  victims  in  the  church. 

This  missionary,  who  has  made  careful  investiga- 
tion on  the  spot,  explains  that  a  gallery  extends 
around  three  sides  of  this  church,  and  from  here, 
a  great  quantity  of  petroleum  was  poured  upon 
these  defenseless  men,  women  and  children,  who 
were  jammed  together  on  the  floor  below.  Num- 
bers of  them  were  butchered  before  this  was  done, 
and  the  fifty  or  sixty  who  escaped  to  the  roof,  were 
overtaken  and  tossed  into  the  flames. 

It  seems  that  after  the  petroleum  had  been  poured 
down  upon  them  from  the  galleries,  lighted  torches 
were  thrown  among  them.  Is  it  possible  to  con- 
ceive of  anything  more  diabolical  ? 

Among  those  who  thus  perished,  were  aged  men 
and  women,  mothers  with  babies  at  their  breasts,  ill 
persons  just  taken  from  their  beds,  and  hundreds  of 
boys  and  girls. 

The  church  building  where  this  occurred,  which 
had  been  used  for  many  years  as  a  place  of  worship 
by  the  Armenians,  has  been  converted  by  these 
murderous  Turks  into  a  Mohammedan  mosque, 
where  prayers  are  now  daily  offered  to  the  Prophet 
Mahomet. 


ARMENIA.  37 

The   Victims  at  Biredjih, 

The  massacre  at  Biredjik,  only  a  few  miles  from 
Oorfa,  is  hardly  less  revolting.  The  facts  below 
are  given  by  a  Christian  citizen  of  the  place,  and 
were  received  by  me  last  night.  The  Christian 
population  of  Biredjik,  occupied  about  two  hun- 
dred houses.  For  mouths,  the  Christians  were 
kept  almost  wholly  within  their  houses  from  fear. 
Some  weeks  since,  about  two  hours  after  sunrise, 
a  massacre  began,  without  any  apparent  cause,  and 
continued  until  far  into  the  night.  The  Turkish 
soldiers  and  Mohammedans  in  the  city,  generally, 
participated  in  it. 

At  first,  the  principal  object  seemed  to  be  plunder, 
but  later  on,  the  soldiers  undertook  the  work  of 
systematic  killing;  and  profession  of  Islam  or  death 
was  the  alternative  of  all  those  who  named  the  name 
of  Christ. 

Many  of  the  victims  were  dragged  to  the  River 
Euphrates,  and  with  stones  tied  to  them,  were 
drowned.  In  some  cases  several  bodies  were  found 
tied  together,  and  thus  thrown  into  the  river.  One 
young  man  was  caught,  a  rope  tied  around  his  neck ; 
and  while  he  was  being  dragged  to  the  Euphrates, 
he  succeeded  in  freeing  himself  three  times,  but 
finally,  after  being  tortured  in  a  nameless  manner, 
he  was  overpowered,  and  amid  the  shouts  of  the 
demons,  he  was  tossed  into  a  watery  grave. 


38  ARMENIA. 


Islam  or  the  Sword, 

Every  house  belonging  to  a  Christian  in  the  vil- 
lage, was  plundered,  except  two,  which  were  saved 
by  Moslem  neighbors,  who  claimed  them  as  their 
property.  Christian  girls  were  eagerly  sought  after, 
and  much  dispute  and  quarrelling  occurred  in 
dividing  them  among  their  captors.  If  they  refused 
immediately  to  marry  young  men  of  the  Moham- 
medan faith,  they  were  tortured  into  obedience,  or 
cast  into  harems.  There  is  not  a  single  Christian 
remaining  in  Biredjik.  Scores  of  men  and  women 
were  brought  forward ;  they  were  offered  protection 
if  they  would  embrace  the  Islam  religion  ;  and  those 
who  refused  (and  nearly  all  of  them  did  refuse)  were 
put  to  death  after  lingering  persecution. 

As  the  Turks  doubted  the  sincerity  of  the  new 
converts,  they  arranged  a  new  massacre,  which  was 
only  averted  by  the  new  converts  promising  to  change 
the  Armenian  churches  into  mosques. 

They  are  now  at  work  making  the  required  alter- 
ations in  the  buildings.  The  Protestant  church  will 
be  turned  into  a  Moslem  schoolhouse  if  the  mis- 
sionaries do  not  claim  it  as  American  property.  The 
misery  and  suffering  among  the  plundered,  cannot  be 
described. 

Lady  Teachers  Captured. 

The  wife  (a  recent  graduate  of  the  American  girls' 
College  at  Marash)   and  child   of  the   Protestant 


ARMENIA.  39 

preacher  (who  is  imprisoned  at  Oorfa),  and  two 
young  lady  teachers,  with  some  twenty  other  persons, 
hid  themselves  in  a  cave,  but  were  discovered  and 
seized  by  the  Turkish  mob.  All  the  men  and  boys 
were  killed,  and  the  women  carried  oflP  to  Moslem 
houses.  The  women  were  dragged  by  the  hair  and 
badly  beaten,  but  being  unable  to  compel  them  even 
in  this  way  to  go  with  them,  the  Turks  carried 
them  on  their  backs.  They  tried  to  kill  the  babe  of 
the  pastor's  wife,  but  she  pressed  it  so  closely  to  her 
bosom,  that  at  last  they  desisted,  as  they  feared  she 
would  be  harmed,  and  she  was  wanted  for  their 
harem. 

For  more  than  three  weeks  every  effort  was 
made,  including  threats  of  death,  to  make  these 
three  women  (the  pastor's  wife,  and  the  two  lady 
teachers  of  the  mission)  profess  Islam,  but  they 
steadfastly  refused.  Wedding  preparations  were 
being  made  to  force  the  women  to  marry  Mo- 
hammedans, when  the  district  governor  received 
an  order  from  Aleppo,  commanding  them  to  be 
sent  under  guard  to  the  missionaries  in  Aintab, 
which  changed  their  fate. 

Distress  and  Work  of  Relief, 

The  news  that  has  just  reached  me  from  Marash 
is  of  the  most  distressing  nature.  Nearly  ten  thou- 
sand are  receiving  daily  help  from  the  missionaries, 
and  there  is  every  indication  that  this  number  must 


40  AEMENIA. 

be  greatly  increased  in  the  near  future,  if  the  funds 
at  the  disposal  of  the  missionaries  permit  of  it. 

One  who  was  appointed  to  visit  the  district  and 
distribute  funds,  referring  to  the  condition  of  affairs, 
exclaimed  :  "  This  region  has  been  one  vast  flaming 
hell."  In  Van,  between  15,000  and  20,000  are 
dependent  upon  the  relief  work  that  is  carried  on 
through  the  agency  of  the  missionaries.  A  letter 
from  there,  that  is  lying  before  me,  says :  '^  I  am 
sure  that  all  who  have  interested  themselves  in  rais- 
ing funds,  would  feel  themselves  abundantly  repaid 
for  the  trouble  and  self-sacrifice,  if  they  could  see 
the  misery  their  money  is  relieving.  We  are,  at 
present,  spending  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  dollars 
per  week,  and  I  am  confident  that  another  thousand 
could  be  spent  in  the  same  way  of  relieving  only  the 
most  distressing  need,  and  that,  too,  in  a  meagre 
enough  fashion. 

"  Hundreds  of  refugees  are  living  in  cold,  damp 
places,  on  earth  floors,  with  absolutely  no  bedding, 
very  little,  in  some  cases,  no  fuel;  and  with  nothing 
to  eat  save  the  dry  bread  we  gave  them. 

"  Since  last  year  the  Bazars  have  been  closed ; 
hence,  everybody  in  the  city  is  out  of  employment, 
while  life  in  the  village  is,  for  the  most  part,  well- 
nigh  or  absolutely  impossible. 

"The  Turkish  officials  are  watching  carefully 
every  effort  to  distribute  money  and  provisions 
among  these  wretched  victims  of  their  cruelty,  and 
they  have   been   known   repeatedly    to    force   the 


ARMENIA.  41 

widows  and  orphans  of  those  whom  they  have 
murdered,  to  give  up  funds  that  came  to  provide 
against  starvation." 

A  Bit  of  History. 

If  we  accept  the  Armenian  histories,  the  first 
ruler  of  the  Armenians  was  the  son  of  Togarmah, 
the  son  of  Gomar,  the  son  of  Japheth,  the  son  of 
Noah,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  they,  even  to 
this  day,  call  themselves  Haik  for  this  ruler,  their 
language  ^'Haiaren,"  and  their  country  "Haiasdan." 

The  word  "Armenian,"  was  given  them  by  other 
nations,  because  of  the  bravery  of  one  of  their  Kings, 
Aram,  the  seventh  ruler  from  Haik.  Until  A.  D. 
1375,  they  were  a  proud  and  independent  nation,  but 
since  the  latter  quarter  of  the  fourteenth  century, 
their  country  has  been  under  the  government  of 
Russia,  Persia,  and  during  most  of  the  time,  under 
Turkey. 

During  the  period  from  600  B.  C.  to  nearly  400 
A.  D.,  the  time  of  their  greatest  advancement,  they 
showed  remarkable  prowess  in  the  wars  of  the 
Assyrians,  Medes,  Persians,  Greeks,  and  Romans. 

From  the  incomplete  government  returns,  it  is 
estimated  that  at  present,  there  are  between  two 
and  a  half  and  three  millions  of  Armenians  in 
Turkey,  and  these  are  everywhere  surrounded  by 
Turks  and  Kurds,  many  of  whom  are  armed  by 
the  government,  while  the  Armenians  are  forbid- 


42  AEMEKIA. 

den  to  carry  or  possess  arms,  under  the  severest 
penalties. 

Their  Religion  and  Clergy, 

In  the  third  century,  under  the  influence  of 
Gregory  the  illuminator,  the  Armenians  as  a  nation, 
became  Christian ;  and  this  was  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  world,  that  Christianity  was  adopted 
as  a  national  religion. 

By  the  outsiders  their  church  was  then  called 
"  Gregorian ;  ^'  and  afterwards  the  Gregorians  and 
Greeks  worked  in  a  fraternal  spirit  in  the  great 
councils  of  the  church,  until  451 ;  but  at  the  fourth 
Ecumenical  Council,  which  met  at  Chalcedon  that 
year,  the  Gregorian  Church  separated  from  the 
Greek,  upon  the  Monophysite  doctrine,  the  former 
accepting,  and  the  latter  rejecting  it. 

There  are  nine  grades  of  Armenian  clergy.  The 
spiritual  head  is  a  Catholicos;  but  in  addition  to  him, 
there  is  a  patriarch  whose  duties  have  largely  to  do 
with  the  political  side  of  the  national  life  as  related 
to  the  Ottoman  government. 

In  the  fifth  century,  the  bible  was  translated  into 
their  language;  but  the  book  has  largely  been  a 
sealed  one,  as  far  as  the  people  are  concerned.  For 
more  than  a  thousand  years,  the  Armenians  have 
been  subject  to  the  bitterest  persecutions,  and  dur- 
ing these  centuries  they  have  willingly  chosen  death 
with  terrible  torture,  rather  than  prove  false  to  their 
faith. 


ARMENIA.  43 


OuUure  and  Education, 


As  is  pointed  out  by  a  recent  jyriter,  and  gener- 
ally admitted  to  be  true,  the  strong  tendency  to 
disagree  among  themselves  has  greatly  weakened 
their  national  character;  and  the  wily  Turks  have 
repeatedly  taken  advantage  of  their  suspicions  of 
each  other,  and  their  internal  rivalries,  by  playing 
one  party  off  against  another. 

There  can  be  no  question,  but  that  the  Armenians 
are  the  most  intelligent  of  all  the  people  of  Eastern 
Turkey,  and  in  Western  Turkey,  their  only  rivals 
are  the  Greeks.  For  more  than  a  score  of  years, 
Armenian  young  men  have  attained  high  scholar- 
ships in  the  universities  of  Europe  and  America; 
and  the  eager  desire  among  the  people  for  a  liberal 
education,  is  very  marked. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  especially  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  that  this  people  give  special  encouragement  to 
female  education;  and  it  was  my  pleasure  to  address 
a  college  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  Armenian  girls  in 
Smyrna  last  week,  where  there  was  every  indication 
of  culture  and  refinement. 

Traders  and  Farmers. 

The  Armenian  is  the  trader  and  banker  of  this 
part  of  the  world.  The  Mohammedan  is  no  match 
for  him,  and  this  is  where  the  rub  lies.  An  impar- 
tial judge,  who  is  neither  a  Christian  nor  a  Moham- 


44  ARMENIA. 

medan,  informed  me  in  an  interview,  yesterday, 
that  if  you  put  five  Armenian  shopkeepers  on  the 
same  street  with  ten  Mahommedans,  in  a  short  while, 
provide^  both  are  granted  the  same  privileges,  the 
former  will  control  the  whole  business,  from  one 
end  of  the  street  to  the  other. 

Although  the  Turkish  government  has  imposed 
upon  them  the  most  unjust  laws,  and  excessive 
taxes,  they  have  kept  well  to  the  front,  and  until 
these  persecutions  and  massacres  commenced,  some 
of  the  leading  business  operations  in  the  country 
were  in  their  hands.  They  are  also  the  leading 
artisans  and  farmers.  I  have  the  statement  from  a 
reliable  source,  that  twenty-five  years  ago,  in  certain 
large  sections,  the  land  was  owned  almost  entirely  by 
Moslems,  but  rented  and  farmed  by  the  Armenians; 
but  lack  of  industry  on  the  part  of  the  Moham- 
medans, has  led  them  to  sell  many  of  their  large 
estates  to  the  Armenians,  many  of  whom  became 
proprietor  farmers.  A  Turkish  governor  is  quoted 
as  saying,  that  if  the  Armenians  should  suddenly 
emigrate  or  be  expelled  from  Eastern  Turkey,  the 
Moslem  would  necessarily  follow  soon,  as  there 
was  not  enough  commercial  enterprise  and  ability, 
coupled  with  industry,  in  the  Turkish  population, 
to  meet  the  absolute  needs  of  the  people. 

Home  and  Family, 

While  at  one  time  in  their  history,  they  gained 
distinction  as  warriors,  they  seem  at  present  to  be 


ARMENIA.  45 

domestic  in  thought  and  habits;  and  apparently 
they  are  'possessed  with  little  military  ambition,  or 
desire  to  rule.  I  have  had  the  privilege  of  seeing 
something  of  their  home  living,  and  seldoiji  have  I 
seen  sweeter  pictures  of  domestic  life,  than  were 
witnessed  in  their  quiet  family  circles.  Their  home 
government  is  patriarchal,  the  father  ruling  the  house- 
hold as  long  as  he  lives,  and  at  his  death,  the  eldest 
son  takes  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  family.  Chil- 
dren have  the  highest  respect  for  their  parents,  and 
they  never  become  too  old  to  «eek  the  counsel,  and 
obey  the  word  of  father  and  mother ;  and  especial 
respect  is  given  to  the  aged. 

An   Unmixed  Race. 

In  the  eloquent  words  of  another,  "  Here  we  have 
a  race  old  in  National  history  when  Alexander  in- 
vaded the  East,  and  with  its  star  of  Empire  turning 
towards  decline  when  the  Caesars  were  at  the  height 
of  their  power ;  a  nation  not  mingling  in  marriage 
with  men  and  women  of  another  faith  and  blood, 
now  as  pure  in  its  descent  from  the  undiscovered 
ancestors  of  nearly  three  decades  of  centuries  ago, 
as  the  Hebrews  stand  unmixed  with  Gentile  blood ; 
with  a  language,  a  literature,  a  national  church  dis- 
tinctively its  own,  and  yet  a  nation  without  a  coun- 
try, without  a  protector  or  friend  in  all  God's  world. 

"  This  is  not  because  it  has  sinned,  but  because  it 
has  been  terribly  sinned  against ;  not  because  of  its 


46  ARMENIA. 

intellectual,  or  moral,  or  physical  weakness,  but 
because  it  has  little  to  offer  in  return  for  tfie  service 
which  the  common  brotherhood  of  man  among 
nations  should  prompt  the  Christian  nations  of  the 
world  to  render." 

In  all  her  varied  history,  I  suppose  that  the  sky 
over  the  national  life  of  Armenia,  was  never  so  star- 
less as  it  is  to-day.  The  great  powers  of  the  European 
continent  turn  deaf  ears  to  her  cries,  some  of  them 
apparently  giving  indirect  indorsement  to  the  rotten 
rule,  Satanic  savagery  and  murderous  madness  of  the 
Moslem  Sultan ;  and  if  substantial  aid  is  rendered, 
in  putting  bread  in  the  mouths  of  these  widowed, 
orphaned  and  plundered  thousands,  and  in  creating 
a  world-wide  sentiment  in  their  favor,  it  must  come 
from  that  country,  which  is  to-day  the  hope  of  the 
world  and  the  inspiration  of  mankind — generous, 
liberty-loving  America. 

Appalling  Destitution, 

Recent  letters  from  Erzeroum,  which  are  before 
me,  state  that  relief  is  now  afforded  to  over  50,000 
destitute  persons  in  that  province.  It  is  not  at- 
tempted to  relieve  poverty ;  the  only  thought  is  to 
keep  people  alive.  Let  a  few  cases,  recently  ex- 
amined, suffice  to  illustrate  the  present  appalling 
state  of  the  Christian  population  of  the  province  of 
Erzeroum. 


*  ARMENIA.  47 

One  young  man  came  for  aid,  who  had  walked 
ninety  miles,  through  dangerous  districts.  His 
statement  was  as  follows :  There  are  eighty-five 
Armenian  houses  in  the  village,  to  which  he  belongs. 
Every  house  was  plundered,  and  many  persons  were 
killed.  The  survivors  were  saved  by  embracing 
Islam.  An  order  from  the  government  was  subse- 
quently received,  permitting  the  Armenians  to  return 
to  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  Even  then,  fifteen 
families,  from  fear  of  their  Turkish  neighbors,  dared 
not  renounce  their  recently  adopted  faith.  The 
massacre  occurred  when  the  grain  in  the  fields  was 
ripe.  No  one  dared  go  out  of  the  village  to  reap  it. 
The  Kurds  came,  divided  the  fields  among  them- 
selves, and  cut  and  carried  away  the  grain. 

The  present  destitution  is  indescribable.  Several 
persons  have  died  of  hunger.  The  young  man's 
father  and  brother  were  killed,  and  he  left  a  wife 
and  several  small  children  in  the  deepest  want,  that 
he  might  come  and  present  a  statement  of  the  need 
of  his  village,  and  of  three  other  villages  equally 
needy. 

Grinding  Oppression, 

During  the  first  week  in  May,  fifty-seven  villagers 
came  'to  Erzeroum  from  another  group  of  eight 
villages  seventy-five  miles  away.  They  came  to 
represent  their  sad  condition  to  the  relief  committee, 
and  to  appeal  also  to  the  governor  of  the  province, 
for  oxen,  agricultural  implements,  and  grain  seed, 


48  ARMENIA. 

and  especially  for  protection  from  the  lawless  Kurds, 
among  whom  they  dwell. 

They  had  been  kept  from  starvation  during  the 
winter,  by  the  aid  of  the  relief  committee,  for  which 
they  were  most  thankful.  But  the  Spring  had  come ; 
and  they  had  no  seed  to  sow,  no  oxen,  no  plows,  no 
harrows,  and  even  if  they  had  all  these,  they  would 
not  dare  to  go  outside  the  village  to  the  fields,  fearing 
the  Kurds  would  fall  upon  them.  Even  if  we  sow 
our  fields,  they  said,  we  have  no  assurance  that  we 
can  reap  them,  and.if  we  succeed  in  sowing  our  fields 
and  reaping  the  grain,  we  have  no  assurance  that 
the  Kurds  will  not  come  upon  us  in  the  Autumn,  and 
plunder  us  again.  Is  there  no  escape?  Is  there  no 
deliverer?  We  are  willing,  they  said,  to  sacrifice 
our  houses,  our  lands,  yea,  and  the  very  clothes  we 
have  on,  if  we  can  only  find  relief  from  this  grind- 
ing oppression,  anxiety  and  danger. 

Kurdish  Robbers, 

Here  is  the  story  in  brief,  of  the  attack  upon  one 
of  the  above  named  villages.  The  Kurds  swooped 
down  upon  the  village  without  any  warning.  On 
seeing  them  approach,  mothers  took  their  babes, 
fathers  and  elder  brothers  grasped  the  hands  of  the 
younger  children,  and  all  the  villagers,  save  a  few 
old  and  infirm  persons,  made  a  rush  for  the  hills. 
There  was  no  time  for  any  preparation,  and  many 
of  the  villagers  fled  with  nothing  on  save  their 


AKMENIA.  49 

cotton  garments.  The  weather  was  very  cold,  and 
the  snow  was  falling.  From  the  hilltop  to  which 
they  had  fled,  they  could  hear  the  cries  of  the  as- 
saulted, and  of  the  children  in  a  neighboring  village. 
After  the  Kurds  had  been  busy  for  six  hours,  carry- 
ing away  the  goods  of  the  villagers,  and  driving  off 
their  cattle,  an  officer  from  the  local  seat  of  govern- 
ment, a  town  six  miles  away,  came  and  compelled 
the  Kurds  to  vacate  the  village.  He  then,  said  a 
villager,  called  to  us,  and  with  assurances  that  he 
had  come  to  protect  us,  induced  us  to  descend. 

He  demanded  that  we  deliver  up  our  guns. 
We  protested  that  we  had  no  guns.  He  insisted ; 
but  we  firmly  denied  that  we  had  weapons  of  any 
kind.  While  this  interview  was  being  held,  the 
Kurds  returned  in  large  force,  and  threatened  even 
the  life  of  the  officer.  He  informed  us  that  he  could 
not  protect  us,  and  advised  us  to  again  fly  for  our 
lives.  We  immediately  scattered,  most  of  us  taking 
the  road  to  a  village  six  miles  away.  It  was  already 
late  in  the  evening,  cold  and  snowy.  Our  sufferings 
on  the  way  were  indescribable.  Several  young 
children  died,  and  a  very  few,  if  any,  escaped  sub- 
sequent illness  from  exposure. 

Pillage  and  Murder, 

Happy  were  those  of  our  village,  twelve  in  num- 
ber, who  had  been  killed  by  the  Kurds,  exclaimed 
one  of  these  wretched  creatures.     For  ten  days,  we 
4 


60  ARMENIA. 

did  not  dare  to  return  to  our  village,  and  when  we 
did  return,  what  a  scene  of  desolation  presented 
itself  to  us.  Everything  portable  was  gone.  All 
livestock  of  every  kind,  driven  away.  The  very 
doors  of  our  houses  were  carried  away,  and,  in 
some  cases,  the  houses  were  pulled  down  and  the 
timber  taken.  As  all  the  bedding  of  the  village  was 
gone,  they  have  slept  on  hay  or  straw,  and  as  the 
doors  of  their  houses  had  been  carried  away,  for 
months  they  had  been  exposed,  through  the  long 
nights,  to  the  bitter  wintry  blasts.  All  the  villagers 
have  been  ill  with  colds,  and  many  have  died  from 
the  eflPects  of  exposure.  The  representative  of  an- 
other village,  after  having  given  similar  experiences 
of  attack,  flight,  massacre,  pillage,  exposure  and 
destitution,  ended  the  sad  recital  with  the  words : 
"  Two  of  my  nephews,  grown  up  young  men,  who 
had  wives  and  children,  followed  after  the  Kurds, 
with  the  hope  of  recovering  some  of  their  sheep. 
The  Kurds  murdered  them  and  threw  their  bodies 
into  the  river."  Then  the  poor  old  man  burst  into 
tears,  and  the  hearts  of  all  those  who  heard  him, 
bled  for  him,  and  for  the  widows  and  fatherless 
children. 

A  Fiteom  Account 

While  these  and  other  villagers  were  giving  their 
sad  recital  of  oppression  and  bloodshed,  a  fine- 
looking  old  man  entered,  and  all  of  the  villagers 
rose  to  their  feet,  in  token  of  respect.     He  was  the 


ARMENIA.  61 

wealthiest  and  most  influential  man  of  the  whole 
district.  He  owned  the  land  on  which  was  built  a 
village  of  twenty-five  houses,  and  all  of  the  inhabi- 
tants were  dependent  upon  him  for  work.  He  sowed 
as  much  as  3,000  bushels  of  grain  in  one  season. 
He  had  accommodations  for  fifty  or  sixty  travellers, 
and  his  house  was  open  to  all  comers.  According 
to  the  custom  of  Oriental  hospitality,  all  travellers 
who  became  his  guests,  and  their  horses,  received 
all  they  needed,  free  of  charge. 

This  man  said  :  "  We  are  five  brothers,  all  living 
together,  a  family  of  fifty  souls.  On  the  approach 
of  the  Kurds,  we  fled,  and  our  movable  property 
fell  into  their  hands.  They  drove  off  1,200  sheep. 
The  government  intervened  subsequently,  and  two 
were  returned  to  us,  one  ram  and  one  ewe.  They 
took  150  head  of  horned  cattle,  including  all  the 
draught  oxen.  Of  the  cattle,  twelve  were  subse- 
quently returned.  They  took  twelve  horses,  *  of 
which,  not  one  was  returned.  They  left  not  a  cart, 
not  a  plow,  nor  a  harrow,  nor  a  chain.  They  left 
the  house  utterly  bare,  carrying  off  all  the  grain, 
all  winter  provision,  household  utensils,  clothes 
and  bedding." 

With  evident  emotion,  the  old  man  added  :  "  And 
they  killed  my  son,  a  clever  young  man  of  twenty- 
five  years,  who  left  a  wife  and  four  children.  We 
are  now  destitute,  I  have  not  a  penny  in  my  pocket; 
and  the  coat  I  have  on,  I  borrowed  from  a  friendly 
Turk,  that  I  might  make  a  respectable  appearance. 


52  ARMENIA. 

in  calling  upon  you."  And  so  the  story  goes.  My 
informants  are  leading  men  in  their  villages,  and 
their  statements  have  been  fully  confirmed.  These 
men  received  an  utterly  inadequate  dole  of  wheat 
and  started  on  their  return  journey  of  seventy-five 
miles,  to  make  a  distribution  among  their  fellow 
villagers,  widows  and  children,  who  are  suffering 
from  hunger  and  sickness,  and  are  hoping  against 
hope. 

The  Outbreak  at  Severeh, 

After  some  delay  and  difficulty,  I  have  received 
the  following  facts  about  the  outbreak  at  Severek. 
There  were  some  intimations  of  it,  but  they  were 
unheeded  by  the  Christians.  About  noon  the  storm 
broke,  the  market  was  surrounded,  and  with  the 
exits  closely  guarded,  nearly  all  of  the  Christians  at 
that  time  in  the  market,  were  killed  in  a  short  half 
hour.  From  there,  the  Turks  went  to  the  houses, 
and  did  considerable  killing,  but  soon  turned  to 
plunder.  By  night,  all  of  the  Christians  were  pretty 
well  relieved  of  their  goods.  The  next  few  days, 
they  killed  the  Christians  one  by  one,  and  also 
spent  much  time  in  digging  up  floors,  to  find 
monies  hidden  away  there.  Large  numbers  turned 
Moslem,  and  so  saved  their  lives.  These  were, — 
very  many  of  them  at  least — circumcised,  and  I 
think,  all  kept  Ramadan.  One  creditable  point  ap- 
pears in  Severek.  Those  who  could  get  to  Moslem 
houses  and  appeal  for  help,  were  usually  taken  in 


ARMENIA.  53 

and  saved,  i,  e,,  protected,  temporarily  at  least.  The 
Christians  were  kept  in  this  way,  scattered  through 
Moslem  houses,  for  three  weeks.  By  this  time,  the 
houses  of  the  Christians  were  sufficiently  dug  up, 
broken  down,  etc.,  to  make  sure  that  no  money  nor 
valuables  were  left  anywhere,  and  they  were  allowed 
to  return  home. 

Moslem  Sympathy, 

The  plundering  being  completed  here,  and  many 
of  their  friends  and  relatives  having  been  killed,  of 
course  their  going  home  was,  to  the  last  degree,  sad. 
When  they  went  home,  they  had  nothing.  Subse- 
quently, acquaintances  among  the  Moslems  began 
to  pity  them ;  and  little  by  little  they  were  given 
enough  barely  to  cover  them. 

Beds  were  also  lent  them.  They  began  to  beg,  to 
do  service  in  Moslem  houses,  and  to  turn  a  penny 
any  way  possible.  Once,  considerable  wheat  was 
collected,  and  the  very  poor  had  about  two  bushels 
apiece  doled  out  to  them.  They  were  glad  enough 
to  get  it.  From  Constantinople,  including  thirty 
pounds  from  the  Archbishop,  two  hundred  and  five 
Turkish  pounds,  have  been  sent  them. 

In  consequence  of  the  late  massacre,  there  were 
said  to  be  500  widows  here.  This  number  is,  per- 
haps, too  large,  but  the  number  is  certainly  very  great. 

I  was  told,  that  at  Diarbekir,  it  was  possible  for 
single  women  to  get  work. 


54  AEMENIA. 

Begging   Widows, 

Now  the  Severek  widows  are  beggiu^,  though 
their  condition  is  somewhat  alleviated  by  the  205 
Turkish  pounds  sent  there.  The  artisans  and  those 
who  have  trades,  seem  to  be  beginning  work,  and 
they  are  doing  fairly  well.  But  most  of  those  who 
were  merchants,  cannot  begin.  And  the  poor 
widows  have  no  resources  at  all.  In  most  of  the 
houses,  the  bedding  is  liable  to  be  withdrawn  at 
any  time,  as  it  is  only  a  loan. 

The  Syrians  here  were  treated  as  badly  as  the 
Armenians,  and  even  worse,  as  their  quarter  is  in  a 
more  exposed  place.  Armenians  from  the  town  of 
Choonkoosh,  not  far  away,  were  also  sufferers.  The 
Armenian  church  was  torn  down;  and  the  Protest- 
ant pastor,  (Syrian)  and  Armenian  priests  were  all 
killed.  Armenian  Catholic  priests  remained  alive. 
They  have  now  a  good  Caimakam,  who  is,  day  by 
day,  making  their  lives  more  endurable.  He  is 
ably  seconded  by  a  military  head,  a  major  acting  as 
brevet-colonel.  One  or  two  women  were  killed  for 
attempting  to  defend  their  husbands.  Such  is  a 
meagre  account  of  affairs  in  Severek. 

The  First  Mohammedan  Massacre. 

The  fact  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Armenians 
inherited  this  land  nearly  as  far  back  as  the  days  of 
the  Flood,  and,  according  to  the  biblical  account,  the 


AEMENIA.  55 

Ark  rested  on  Ararat,  the  central  mountain  of  Ar- 
menia. They  are  the  direct  descendants  of  Japhet, 
and,  belonging  to  the  Caucasian  family,  they  claim 
kin,  both  by  blood  and  belief,  to  the  great  Christian 
nations  of  the  earth.  Although  they  did  not 
acknowledge  Christianity  as  a  national  religion 
until  the  third  century,  they  received  the  teachings 
of  Christ  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era, 
and  tradition  tells  us,  that  they  offered  Christ  refuge 
from  His  persecutors,  which  He  declined,  but  sent 
to  them  Thaddeus  and  Bartholomew,  to  teach  them. 
They  met  their  Mohammedan  enemies,  first  in  1636, 
when  they  were  defeated  in  battle,  and  twelve  thou- 
sand men,  women  and  children  were  massacred. 

Since  then,  the  bloody  tide  of  persecution  and 
death  has  nearly  continuously  swept  over  their  land, 
and  during  this  time,  millions  have  died  heroic 
martyrs  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  The  Armenian 
nation  has  been  decreased  from  twenty-five  millions 
to  less  than  four  millions,  and  if  the  present  course 
is  pursued  by  the  Turkish  Government  and  the 
European  powers,  the  nation  will  be  exterminated. 

Broken  Treaties, 

When  the  Mohammedans  under  Mahomet  II,  cap- 
tured Constantinople  in  the  fifteenth  century,  they 
found  that  civil  and  religious  liberty  was  tolerated. 

But  when  the  followers  of  Mahomet  took  pos- 
session of  the  city,  they  attempted  to  turn  back  the 


56  ARMENIA. 

tide  of  Christian  civilization.  The  law  of  Islam  is, 
that  all  who  live  on  Mohammedan  soil,  must  be 
Mohammedans,  or  die,  but  the  Sultan  may  spare  a 
tributary  as  a  slave  or  an  alien,  if  expedient.  As  it 
was  impracticable  in  1453  either  to  enslave,  banish,  or 
exterminate  the  Byzantines  and  their  alien  populations 
from  their  newly  acquired  Empire,  without  depopu- 
lating the  country,  they  were  allowed  to  remain,  and 
their  privileges,  social,  civil  and  religious,  were 
recognized,  as  a  political  necessity.  The  Roman  Em- 
peror had  already  granted  to  the  Turkish  residents 
of  Constantinople  the  right  to  be  ruled  by  Moslem 
law,  administered  by  their  own  judges,  previous  to 
this  conquest,  thus  extending  to  them  the  "  Extra 
territorial  rights "  which  are  recognized  to-day, 
but  which  the  Turks  are  trying  to  subvert  to  the 
murderous  system  of  Mohammedanism. 

The  Treaty  of  Paris. 

In  1856,  after  the  close  of  the  Crimean  war,  the 
following  Firman  of  the  Sultan  was  attached  to  it, 
and  became  a  part  of  the  treaty  of  Paris,  between 
Turkey  and  the  powers  of  Europe.  "  My  Sublime 
Porte,  will  take  energetic  measures  to  insure  to  each 
sect  whatever  be  the  number  of  its  adherents,  entire 
freedom  in  the  exercise  of  its  religion.  Every  dis- 
tinction or  designation  tending  to  make  any  class 
whatever,  of  the  subjects  of  my  Empire  inferior  to 
another  class,  on  account  of  their  religion,  language 


ARMENIA.  57 

or  race,  shall  be  forever  effaced  from  the  administra- 
tion protocol. 

"  As  all  forms  of  religion  are  and  shall  be  freely- 
professed  in  my  domains,  no  subject  of  my  Empire 
shall  be  hindered  in  the  exercise  of  the  religion  that 
he  professes,  nor  shall  he  be  in  any  way  annoyed  on 
this  account.  No  one  shall  be  compelled  to  change 
his  religion*  It  shall  be  lawful  for  foreigners  to 
possess  landed  property  in  my  domain,  conforming 
themselves,  and  police  regulations,  and  having  the 
same  charges  as  the  native  inhabitants.  The  taxes 
are  to  be  levied  under  the  same  denomination  from 
all  the  subjects  of  my  Empire,  without  distinction 
of  class  or  religion."  Consequent  events  prove  how 
well  this  treaty  has  been  kept. 

The  Treaty  of  Berlin,  of  1878, 

which  was  signed,  not  only  by  Turkey,  but  also 
by  Austria,  England,  France,  Germany,  Italy,  and 
Russia,  guaranteed  absolute  protection  to  Armenia. 
The  sixty-first  article  of  this  treaty,  reads  as  follows  : 
"The  Sublime  Porte,  undertakes  to  carry  out  with- 
out further  delay,  the  ameliorations  and  reforms 
demanded  by  local  requirements  in  the  various 
provinces  inhabited  by  the  Armenians,  and  to  guar- 
antee their  security  against  the  Circassians  and  the 
Kurds.  It  will  make  known  periodically  the  steps 
taken  to  this  effect  to  the  Powers,  who  will  super- 
intend their  application." 


58  ARMENIA. 

The  sixty-second  article  reads :  "  The  Sublime 
Porte  having  expressed  the  intention  to  maintain  the 
principle  of  religious  liberty,  and  give  it  the  widest 
scope,  the  contracting  parties  take  note  of  this  spon- 
taneous declaration.  In  no  part  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire,  shall  difference  of  religion  be  alleged  against 
any  person,  as  a  ground  ^of  exclusion  or  incapacity 
as  regards  the  discharge  of  civil  and  political  rights, 
admission  to  the  public  employments,  functions  and 
honors,  or  the  exercise  of  the  various  professions 
and  industries.  All  persons  shall  be  admitted  with- 
out distinction  of  religion,  to  give  evidence  before 
tribunals.  The  freedom  and  outward  service  of  all 
forms  of  worship  are  assured  to  all,  and  no  hindrance 
shall  be  offered  either  to  the  Hierarchial  organiza- 
tions of  the  various  communions,  or  to  their  relations 
to  their  spiritual  chiefs.  The  right  of  official  pro- 
tection is  accorded  to  religious  and  charitable  estab- 
lishments." This  treaty,  which  was  the  result  of 
a  conference  of  the  powers  in  1878,  was  intended  to 
take  the  place  of  the  treaty  of  San  Stefano,  signed 
by  Turkey,  as  the  victorious  Kussian  armies  and 
their  liberated  allies  were  closing  in  on  Constanti- 
nople from  the  North,  and  sweeping  triumphantly 
from  Armenia,  led  by,  an  Armenian  general  from 
the  East. 

This  'was  an  outburst  of  popular  indignation  on 
the  part  of  Russia,  over  the  outrages  in  Bulgaria, 
which  would  have  wiped  out  the  Ottoman  Empire, 
but  for  the  powers  of  Europe,  which  interposed  for 


ARMENIA.  59 

selfish  interests,  Great  Britain  going  so  far  as  to  form 
her  present  offensive  and  defensive  alliance  with  the 
Turkish  government,  thus  protecting  the  Sultan's 
domains  in  Asia  from  further  Russian  aggression. 

The  Cyprus  Treaty, 

In  return  for  this  infernal  agreement  between 
"  the  leading  nations  of  Christendom ''  and  the  head 
of  heathendom,  the  island  of  Cyprus  was  ceded  to 
Great  Britain,  to  enable  her  to  fulfil  her  part  of  the 
compact;  and  the  Sultan's  government  promised  "to 
introduce  necessary  reforms,  to  be  agreed  upon  later 
bet\yeen  the  two  powers,  into  the  government,  and 
for  the  protection  of  the  Christian  and  other  subjects 
of  the  Porte  in  these  territories." 

The  Reign  of  Terror  under  these  Treaties 

is  too  horrible  to  dwell  upon.  More  than  a  hundred 
thousand  human  beings  have  been  unmercifully 
massacred,  not  to  speak  of  the  untold  sufferings  of 
at  least  a  million  homeless,  naked,  starving,  foodless 
and  friendless  men  and  women,  for  whose  protection 
these  treaties  were  supposed  to  have  been  signed. 
It  is  well  for  us  to  notice  how  the  treaty  of  1830, 
between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  Otto- 
man Empire,  has  been  disregarded.  Article  four, 
of  this  treaty,  reads  thus  :  "  Citizens  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  quietly  pursuing  their  commerce, 


60  ARMENIA. 

and  not  being  charged  or  convicted  with  any  crime 
or  offence,  shall  not  be  molested,  and  even  when 
they  have  committed  some  offence,  they  shall  not 
be  arrested  and  put  in  prison  by  the  local  authorities, 
but  they  shall  be  tried  by  their  own  minister  or 
Consul,  and  punished  according  to  their  offence, 
following  in  this  respect  the  usages  of  other  Franks  " 
— meaning  Caucasian  nations. 

Now  this  Treaty,  like  all  others  signed  by  the 
Turkish  Government,  has  been  repeatedly  violated. 
Americans  have  been  persecuted  more  than  once ; 
one  receiving  ten  sword-cuts  from  the  son  of  an 
influential  Kurdish  chief,  and  having  been  bound 
hand  and  foot,  was  cast  into  the  bushes  to  perish, 
near  the  village  of  Bitlis.  Although  this  matter 
was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Sultan  of  Con- 
stantinople, the  Government  has  made  no  reparation, 
in  any  respect.  It  will  also  be  remembered,  that 
an  American  citizen,  representing  an  American  peri- 
odical, was  robbed  and  murdered  in  Turkey,  and 
his  murderers,  though  reported  to  the  Government, 
remained  unpunished,  and  the  Sublime  Porte,  has 
so  far  ignored  all  demands  for  redress.  I  was  in 
Asia  Minor,  during  this  year,  when  an  honored 
American  citizen,  was  illegally  seized  by  Turkish 
authorities,  and  held  as  a  prisoner,  in  spite  of  Con- 
sular protest.  His  release  was  repeatedly  demanded, 
but  the  demands  were  completely  ignored,  until  at 
last  a  telegram  was  sent,  for  a  war  vessel  to  enforce 
the  Treaty  right.    When  the  cowardly  Turks  became 


ARMENIA.  61 

aware  of  the  telegram,  they  instantly  released  their 
prisoner,  who  proceeded  to  Constantinople,  to  stand 
trial  in  accordance  with  the  Treaty  of  1830,  between 
the  United  States  of  America  and  the  Ottoman  Em- 
pire, although  the  charges  against  him  were  known 
to  be  ridiculously  false. 

Relief  for  Armenians, 

Anxious  to  learn  what  has  been  done  for  the 
suffering  Armenians,  I  at  last  secured  a  statement 
from  a  gentleman  living  in  Harpoot,  who  is  dis- 
tributing funds  and  provisions.  The  system  of 
relief  comprises  several  distinct  departments. 

First — The  bread  distribution.  We  have  men 
who  investigate  the  needs  of  the  people  in  the  city, 
whether  natives  or  refugees,  and  give  them  tickets 
for  bread  at  the  rate  of  two  loaves  for  each  adult. 
The  government  gives  three  loaves  for  soldiers  and 
gendarmes.  These  tickets  they  carry  to  the  bakers 
with  whom  we  have  contracted  to  furnish  bread, 
and  the  bakers  settle  with  us  by  means  of  these 
tickets.  These  bakers  are  kept  busy  in  supplying 
the  needy,  who  are  for  the  most  part  refugees  from 
other  places.  The  number  now  on  our  list  is  2,379, 
but  it  increases  from  week  to  week,  in  spite  of  the 
closest  scrutiny  of  the  lists,  to  keep  out  those  who 
could  by  any  means  live  without  help.  We  have 
committees  in  various  wards  of  the  city  to  examine 
the  lists.     One  of  our  number  looks  after  the  dis- 


62  ARMENIA. 

tribution  of  the  tickets,  and  the  settlement  of  the 
accounts  with  bakers. 


Aid  to  Refugees, 

Second, — Aid  to  refugees.  This  is  under  the  care 
of  a  commission.  They  give  aid  to  1,910  souls. 
We  are  trying  to  get  these  refugees  to  go  back  to 
their  villages  as  soon  as  possible,  but  they  cannot 
go  just  yet. 

Third. — The  making  of  beds  and  underclothing. 
This  department  is  under  the  care  of  two  ladies. 
We  rented  a  house,  where  they  employ  needy 
women  to  make  suits  of  underclothing  and  beds. 
The  sewing  is  given  out  to  women  who  take  it  to 
their  homes,  and  make  suits  of  underclothing,  for 
one  and  a  half  piasters.  They  can  make  about  one 
suit  per  day.  This  enables  many  poor  women  to 
keep  their  families  supplied  with  bread.  Over 
three  hundred  women  have  been  employed  in  this 
way.  From  this  centre,  we  send  out  clothes  and 
beds  to  the  villages,  and  supply  the  refugees  who 
come  here.  The  women  also  make  stockings,  which 
we  buy  of  them.  From  this  department  also,  we 
send  out  cotton  to  the  villages,  to  be  spun  into 
thread,  the  thread  we  give  to  weavers  to  be  made 
into  cloth,  and  the  cloth  we  use  for  clothing,  paying 
for  the  work  at  each  step.  In  this  way,  many 
families  are  helped  along. 


ARMENIA.  63 

Industrial  Help. 

Fourth. — The  industrial  relief  for  men.  We 
have  furnished  work  to  a  number  of  men,  in  clear- 
ing away  the  ruins  of  our  burnt  buildings,  and 
getting  ready  to  build.  Many  families  are  aided  in 
this  way,  which  must  have  otherwise  been  put  on 
the  bread  list.  I  have  kept  a  careful  account  of 
this  list,  and  we  shall  pay  back  a  portion  of  the 
expense  into  the  relief  fund,  on  account  of  the  work 
done  for  the  college,  although  most  of  the  work 
would  have  been  left,  were  it  not  for  our  desire  to 
help  men,  without  pauperizing  them.  The  wages 
paid  are  very  low. 

Fifth. — The  distribution  of  money  to  the  towns 
and  villages.  The  peculiar  conditions  existing  have 
made  it  seem  to  us  better  to  give  money,  than  grain 
or  other  food  stuffs.  We  are  trying  to  aid  a  people 
who  are  famishing,  with  plenty  to  eat  all  around 
them.  The  harvests  were  better  than  usual  this 
year,  and  there  is  food  which  can  be  bought,  for 
those  who  have  it,  prefer  money  to  grain.  More- 
over, money  is  small  in  bulk,  and  can  be  distributed, 
without  attracting  attention,  as  loads  of  grain, 
etc.,  would  do. 

Distribution  of  Money  and  Clothing. 

The  winter  has  been  an  unusually  open  one,  and 
the  villagers  have  come  to  us  in  throngs.     We  have 


64  ARMENIA. 

lists,  carefully  prepared,  of  the  needy  in  each  village, 
keeping  out,  so  far  as  possible,  all  who  can  live 
without  help.  The  lists  from  the  Harpoot  villages, 
are  prepared  by  the  central  commission  in  Mezreh. 
We  have  a  commission  here  to  certify  the  lists  from 
the  Palu  regions.  We  have  also  another  commission 
to  examine  and  certify  lists  from  Charsanjak  villages. 
After  the  lists  have  been  certified,  and  recorded  in 
our  books,  I  pay  at  the  rate  of  ten  piasters  for 
adults,  and  five  for  children.  We  expect  these 
rations  to  last  about  one  month,  but  we  have  made 
it  go  longer  than  a  month,  for  most  villages,  because 
we  have  not  money  enough  to  pay  oftener.  In 
Malatia,  Arabkir,  Peri,  Charsanjak,  Chemishgesek, 
Choonkoosh,  and  Egin,  and  the  Aghun  villages,  aid 
is  distributed  through  the  commissions  in  those 
places,  who  send  us  their  lists,  and  reports  of  dis- 
tribution. We  make  this  a  condition  of  their 
receiving  aid. 

The  clothing  sent  from  Constantinople,  has  been 
distributed  in  Malatia  (19  bales),  Arabkir  (10  bales), 
Palu  (2  bales),  Aghun  villages  (2  bales),  Mezreh  and 
Harpoot  (4  bales),  and  there  are  18  bales  here  now, 
and  to  be  distributed  this  week.  They  have  just 
arrived,  and  will  be  distributed  at  once. 

We  are  just  beginning  our  second  payment  to 
villagers.  I  hold  back  all  I  can,  in  order  to  make 
the  money  go  as  far  as  possible,  although  it  almost 
wears  me  out,  to  stand  up  against  the  constant 
pressure  of  want  and  misery.     We  have  aided  up 


ARMENIA.  65 

to  the  present  time,  9,655  families,  contaiDing  54,586 
souls,  besides  the  Egin  villages,  the  report  of  which 
is  not  yet  at  hand.  The  villagers  have  been  able 
to  travel,  and  come  to  us  quite  freely,  and  in  this 
way,  thousands  have  been  helped,  to  whom  we  could 
not  have  gone  in  person. 

Appeal  for  Contributions, 

Sixth, — General  observations.  The  tremendous 
size  of  the  problem  facing  us,  grows  upon  us  as 
we  go  on.  I  do  not  think  that  any  centre  in  the 
country  is  surrounded  with  such  a  vast  number  of 
destitute  people,  as  is  Harpoot.  The  number  of 
the  needy  increases  because  many  who  had  a  little 
food,  have  now  exhausted  their  store.  For  multi- 
tudes, the  summer  will  bring  no  alleviation  of  their 
distress.  There  are  thousands  of  widows  and  or- 
phans, thrown  upon  the  world,  and  with  no  bread 
winners.  There  are  artisans  without  tools,  farmers 
without  seed  or  cattle,  and  people  without  houses. 
What  are  they  to  do?  The  prospect  is  awful.  This 
stirring  appeal  lies  before  me :  I  hope  you  may  be 
able  to  give  us  means  to  help  us,  at  least  in  the 
matter  of  seed  and  cattle,  but  to  maintain  the  present 
lines  of  relief  work  only,  down  to  the  end  of  the 
month,  we  dare  not  estimate  less  than  ten  thousand 
liras  (T.  10,000).  Our  rate  of  expenditures  is  now 
more  than  a  thousand  liras,  per  week.  Choonkoosh, 
is  just  opening  for  relief  operations.  In  Egin  the 
5 


66  ARMENIA. 

number  of  needy  is  increasing,  as  it  is  also  in  all 
parts  of  our  field.  If  we  make  any  adequate  pro- 
vision for  beds,  and  clothing,  ten  thousand  liras  will 
not  be  enough.  This  estimate  takes  no  account  of 
houses  burned,  cattle  stolen,  tools  destroyed,  people 
left  without  any  means  of  support.  It  leaves  out  of 
sight  the  effort  to  set  the  people  on  their  feet  again. 
It  is  concerned  simply  with  the  task  of  prolonging 
their  lives  in  the  pit  into  which  they  have  fallen. 
As  we  consider  matters,  it  seems  to  us  that  the  esti- 
mate of  100,000  destitute  people  in  this  field,  is  not 
exaggerated.  If  we  should  reckon  on  giving  one 
lira  for  each  destitute  soul,  it  would  require  100,000 
liras,  and  one  lira  per  soul  is  not  an  extravagant 
estimate,  if  people  are  to  be  at  all  adequately  clothed 
and  fed.  The  point  I  wish  to  bring  out,  is,  that 
our  relief  work  is  now  on  the  lowest  possible  scale. 
We  cut  off  from  our  lists  thousands  who  are  really 
needy,  because  they  can  manage  to  live,  and  our 
concern  now,  is  to  save  lives,  not  to  make  it  com- 
fortable, much  as  we  long  to  do  that  also. 

Danger  of  Epidemics, 

I  am  sure  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  comprehend 
the  awful  state  of  things  at  Harpoot.  Yesterday,  I 
had  a  group  of  refugees  in  my  room.  The  odor  of 
their  persons  was  almost  unendurable.  All  of  these 
men  were  merchants  and  well-to-do  farmers,  a  few 
months  since.     In  such  a  state  of  things,  the  danger 


ARMENIA.  67 

of  disease  and  epidemics  is  greatly  increased.  It  is 
not  a  district  that  has  suffered,  but  a  kingdom  deso- 
lated, and  a  nation  in  danger  of  perishing.  Our 
hearts  almost  faint,  when  we  consider  the  magnitude 
of  the  problem,  but  we  must  strive  to  get  it  before 
you.  Please  do  not  consider  this  rhetoric  or  exag- 
geration, I  dare  not  exaggerate  in  the  present  situa- 
tion. I  am  constantly  putting  restraint  upon  my 
words,  lest  I  should  say  anything  more  than  the 
sober  truth,  the  awful  facts  of  the  situation.  I  am 
still  more  doubtful  whether  my  estimate  is  large 
enough.  New  villagers  keep  coming  in,  whose 
supplies  are  exhausted,  and  my  estimate  of  souls 
helped  has  already  fallen  behind  the  reality,  by 
six  or  seven  thousand.  From  a  different  source  of 
information,  I  learn  that  there  are  no  less  than 
eight  thousand  widows  in  one  city  in  this  district, 
whose  husbands  were  murdered,  and  thousands  of 
orphans  are  being  fed  by  contributions  from  Eng- 
land and  America. 

A  Hopeless  Condition, 

An  Armenian,  who  was  the  wealthiest  man  in  his 
town,  said  :  "  I  had  twenty  yoke  of  buffaloes,  besides 
many  oxen,  cows  and  sheep.  The  Kurds  attacked 
us.  Many  were  killed ;  but  a  few  of  us  escaped.  On 
returning  to  our  village,  I  found  my  house  empty, 
farming  implements  all  gone,  my  live  stock  driven 
off.    The  one  thing  that  escaped  was  my  hay.    This, 


68  AEMENIA. 

as  is  our  custom,  was  tied  in  bundles,  and  stacked 
upon  my  buildings.  [All  buildings  in  this  part  of 
the  country  have  flat  roofs.]  In  former  years  the 
government  collected  taxes  in  kind.  This  year  the 
tax-gatherer  demanded  money.  He  came  in  winter, 
when  all  the  exposed  bundles  were  soaked  with  rain, 
and  frozen  with  ice.  One  of  these  was  selected  and 
weighed.  It  weighed  61  pounds.  When  dry,  it 
would  weigh  35  pounds.  Counting  all  the  bundles, 
wet  and  dry,  he  estimated  them  at  61  pounds  each. 
Then  valuing  the  total,  he  demanded  10  per  cent., 
which  amounted  to  over  five  pounds." 

You  will  notice  that  he  had  to  pay  taxes  on  stock, 
over  40  per  cent,  of  which  was  water.  We  know 
something  of  "  watering  stock  "  in  other  countries. 
The  above  is  the  Oriental  method.  The  poor  fellow 
could  not  pay  the  bill,  and  it  now  stands  against 
him.  So  the  story  goes  !  The  deeper  one  delves 
into  the  "  slough  of  despond,"  the  more  hopeless  one 
feels  for  the  future  of  these  poor  people.  The  nar- 
rators of  these  experiences,  are  the  leading  men  in 
their  villages.  The  truth  of  their  statements,  we 
have  fully  confirmed.  What  could  we  say  to  these 
poor  destitute  people  !  Any  words  of  comfort  we 
might  offer  seemed  idle  mockery.  After  pointing 
them  to  the  Source  of  all  comfort  and  consolation, 
we  could  only  assure  them  of  our  sincere  sympathy, 
and  distribute  among  them  provisions  from  English 
and  American  friends. 


ARMENIA.  69 


At  Stamboul. 


The  savage  work  of  the  Sultan  and  his  followers, 
is  going  on  here  in  Constantinople.  The  President 
of  the  largest  foreign  college  in  Asia  Minor,  who 
bears  a  name  that  is  greatly  honored  in  America, 
told  me,  that  last  week,  1,500  Armenians  were 
imprisoned  in  the  city ;  that  all  available  space  in 
the  prisons  were  crowded  with  these  perfectly  inno- 
cent men,  and  that  every  night,  special  trains  were 
loaded  with  Armenians,  taking  them,  no  one  knew 
where.  The  Sultan  is  just  now  greatly  agitated  in 
reference  to  the  murder  of  the  Shah  of  Persia.  It 
is  a  fact  that  is  not  generally  known,  that  the  man 
who  assassinated  the  Shah,  was  the  guest  of  the 
Sultan  not  less  than  a  year  ago  for  more  than  two 
months ;  and  the  man  who  planned  the  conspiracy, 
is  now  in  Constantinople,  drawing  a  salary  from  the 
Turkish  government  of  75  pounds  per  month.  A 
demand  by  the  Persian  government  has  been  made 
for  the  delivery  of  this  man,  but  the  Sultan  declines 
to  give  him  up.     How  long  can  all  this  last  ? 

Atrocities  at  Zile, 

Zile  is  a  town  of  5,000  houses,  350  to  450  being 
Armenian,  15  to  20  Greek,  the  rest  Turkish.  After 
the  announcement  of  the  scheme  of  reforms,  when 
disastrous  events  were  reported  of  other  cities,  J  ,200 
Rediff  soldiers  were  drafted,  and  half  of  them  being 


70  AEMENIA. 

quartered  in  a  khan,  the  other  half  being  stationed 
in  and  about  the  city,  it  was  hoped  that  Zile  would 
be  left  in  safety.  But  threats  from  the  Turkish 
population  being  heard,  and  increasing,  the  Arme- 
nians grew  fearful ;  and  some  desiring  to  close  their 
shops,  and  remove  their  goods  to  their  houses,  were 
prevented  by  the  officers,  who  called  the  principal 
men  of  the  Armenians,  assured  them  that  there  was 
nothing  to  fear,  and  urged  them  to  continue  their 
business.  At  the  time  of  the  annual  "  gaire  "  in 
Zile,  the  authorities  sent  out  of  the  city,  the  crowd 
of  Circassians,  Kurds,  and  other  villagers  who  had 
gathered,  leaving  the  city  to  its  usual  inhabitants. 
The  Armenian  fear  increasing,  the  governor  sent 
them  a  document,  saying :  "  The  government  is 
making  all  this  expense  for  your  protection,  and 
for  you  to  show  fear,  is  an  insult  to  the  government, 
for  which  I  will  treat  you  as  rebels,  and  determine 
your  punishment."  Most  Armenian  shop-keepers 
returned  to  their  places,  and  of  those  whose  business 
did  not  require  shops,  fifty  or  sixty  of  the  principal 
men  were  collected  by  the  police  at  a  casino,  in  the 
market,  under  pretence  of  business  about  taxes. 
At  noon,  the  trumpet  was  blown,  and  the  Turks, 
soldiers,  and  civilians  together,  began  to  assault  the 
Armenians  with  the  cry,  "Down  with  the  Armenians; 
this  is  the  Sultan's  order.  Keal  estate  to  the  crown, 
commodities  to  plunder.''  The  captain  gave  orders 
to  forty  or  fifty  soldiers  to  open  fire.  They  obeyed, 
and  when  the  Armenians  tried  to  run  from  the 


ARMENIA.  71 

market  to  their  houses,  they  found  soldiers  stationed 
in  the  quarters  as  well  as  the  armed  Turkish  mob, 
neither  of  whom  showed  any  quarter  to  the  Chris- 
tians. Of  those  in  the  Casino,  all  but  fifteen  or 
twenty  were  killed  ;  the  latter  escaped  one  by  one, 
though  wounded.  In  two  hours,  two  hundred  shops 
were  looted.  The  governor  called  to  the  crowd: 
"  Be  active,  don't  fail  in  killing,  plundering,  or 
praying  for  the  Sultan. '^  The  other  officers  joined 
in  the  killing.  A  major  attended  to  the  distribution 
of  the  cartridges,  as  the  supply  was  exhausted.  The 
officers  arranged  to  have  the  most  valuable  plunder 
secured  by  tlieir  men,  for  themselves. 

The  Savage  Turk, 

From  the  market,  the  attack  proceeded  to  the 
different  quarters  of  the  city.  The  soldiers  fired 
over  walls,  into  upper  windows,  and  at  anyone  in 
sight.  Under  cover  of  their  fire,  the  mob  burst 
open  gates,  delivered  up  remaining  inmates,  and 
sacked  the  houses.  A  prominent  man,  long  a 
member  of  the  "  Irade  Mejiisi,''  was  killed  with 
his  two  sons,  and  thrown  from  the  upper  window. 

A  woman  tried  to  intercede  for  her  husband,  and 
was  killed  with  him,  their  young  babe  sharing  their 
fate.  An  old  man  eighty  years  old,  was  killed  by 
the  mob,  and  then  his  skull  was  broken  in  pieces, 
by  a  man  equally  as  aged.  A  young  man  was  halted 
by  the  crowd,  and  a  man  put  a  revolver  in  the  hand 


72  ARMENIA. 

of  his  SOD,  a  lad  of  eight  or  ten  years,  saying : 
"Shoot,  my  boy,  and  learn  how  to  kill  giaours." 
The  alternative  of  life  on  the  acceptance  of  Moham- 
madanism  was  commonly  offered.  One,  a  priest, 
bared  his  own  heart  to  the  weapons  about  him, 
rather  than  deny  Christ.  He  was  killed.  Another 
said  :  "  I  do  not  believe  in  Mohammedanism,  but  I 
will  die  for  the  honor  of  Christ,  in  the  Name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
He  was  bayoneted  to  death. 

In  all,  200  shops  and  300  houses  were  looted, 
150  to  200  were  killed,  50  to  60  wounded.  One 
hour  before  sunset,  the  trumpet  was  blown  again, 
and  the  mob  began  to  desist,  though  some  could  not 
be  called  from  the  spoils  till  sunset  put  an  end  to 
activity,  and  gave  the  remaining  Armenians  time  to 
realize  the  horror  of  the  situation.  When  the 
trumpet  blew,  it  was  announced  by  a  cryer  that  the 
remaining  Armenians  would  be  gathered  to  the 
government  for  protection,  but  only  15  or  20  could 
then  be  found.  They  were  taken  to  the  government 
house,  helped  along  when  they  fainted  at  the  sight 
of  the  corpses  in  the  street,  by  the  butt-end  of  guns. 
They  were  told  that  they  would  be  killed  by  sunrise, 
unless  they  turned  Moslems,  and  turbans  of  green 
and  white  were  wound  about  their  heads,  in  the 
attempt  to  force  them  to  change  their  faith ;  and  the 
same  alternative  was  pressed  on  those  who  took 
refuge  in  Turkish  houses. 


ARMENIA.  73 

Piles  of  the  Murdered. 

During  the  night,  the  dead  were  gathered  in 
wagons,  and  carried  to  trash  piles,  outside  of  the 
city.  Though  some  wounded  begged  to  be  carried 
home,  they  were  killed,  and  carted  away  with  the 
rest.  Bodies  were  thrown  from  the  upper  stories, 
and  dragged  by  cords  tied  to  the  feet.  The  next 
day,  one  hundred  were  buried  in  one  trench  in  the 
Armenian  cemetery ;  of  whom,  all  but  three  were 
cut  and  hacked  beyond  recognition,  as  testify  the 
doctors  and  priests  in  attendance.  The  burial  place 
of  the  rest  is  unknown  to  this  day.  The  Arme- 
nians hid  in  garrets,  under  straw  or  manure,  and 
many  in  the  houses  of  the  Turks.  The  latter 
sheltered  them,  first  in  hope  of  winning  them  to 
Islam,  second  in  hope  of  money  reward,  and  third, 
in  a  few  cases  out  of  friendship  or  humanity.  The 
Protestant  preacher  and  his  family  were  saved,  and 
the  church  premises  untouched,  apparently  owing  to 
the  friendship  of  one  Turkish  woman.  The  next 
day,  all  were  gathered  to  the  government,  where 
they  were  urged  to  become  Mohammedans.  ^'  Don't 
rely  on  European  Christians,"  was  said,  "the 
English  have  fled  with  their  fleets.  The  Russians 
have  accepted  Mohammedanism."  Two  persons 
became  Mohammedans.  A  score  of  men  were 
iuiprisoned,  charged  with  being  leaders  in  the 
revolution.  There  had  never  been  a  revolutionary 
society  in  the  place.     When  orders  came  for  exami- 


74  ARMENIA. 

nation  into  the  "event/'  two  Turks  were  imprisoned. 
They  bawled  out :  "  The  governor  gave  orders,  and 
we  killed  and  plundered ;  now  will  they  put  us  in 
prison  ? ''  Next  day,  they  were  quietly  released. 
The  total  loss  is  reckoned  at  one  hundred  and  fifty 
to  two  hundred  thousand  Turkish  pounds.  Ten  of 
the  slain  were  women,  twenty  or  thirty,  children. 
Those  who  escaped  are  bereft  of  everything.  One 
thousand  five  hundred  persons,  are  in  sorest  need 
of  aid  from  fellow  Christians.  News  is  very  slow 
in  reaching  us,  as  to  these  events.  Last  week  a 
reliable  man  came  from  there,  and  for  the  first  time 
we  heard  the  full  account.  He  carried  back  a 
wagon  load  of  bedding  and  clothing  given  here, 
and  twenty  liras.  Doubtless,  more  aid  will  be 
sent  soon. 

Official  Estimates, 

I  see  no  reason  to  modify  my  former  statement, 
to  the  effect,  that  about  90,000  Armenians  in  the 
Sivas  province  are  dependent  upon  what  is  given 
them  to  keep  them  from  starvation.  Thus  far, 
relief  in  this  province,  as  far  as  it  has  been  given 
by  foreigners,  has  been  limited  to  the  smallest 
possible  amount,  but  the  destitution  is  increasing, 
and  those  who  are  distributing  relief  should  know 
what  further  sums  they  may  expect.  Many  of  the 
people  are  now  compelled  to  live  on  roots  found 
in  certain  portions  of  the  country.  Arrangements 
had  been  made  for  the  relief  of  the  district  about 


ARMENIA.  76 

Gemerek,  but  a  letter  just  at  hand,  states:  "The 
Vali  of  Sivas  has  refused  to  allow  this  to  be  done." 
Unless  definite  instructions  are  sent  from  Constanti- 
nople to  the  Yali,  to  allow  relief  to  be  distributed, 
it  will  be  difficult  to  do  so. 

Turkish  Statistics  for  Seven  Districts. 

With  estimated  losses  for  two  months  only,  from 
September  30th  to  November  30th,  1895. 

Armenian   population   in    large 

towns 177,700. 

Eeduced  to  starvation,  about 75,000. 

Killed,  according  to  estimates...  20,000. 
Number  of  Armenian  villages, 

formerly 3,300. 

Number  of  Armenian  villages, 

destroyed 2,500. 

Armenians    living    in    villages, 

formerly 538,500. 

Reduced  to  starvation 350,000. 

From  the  above  figures,  it  appears  that  the  average 
number  of  inhabitants  was,  for  each  village,  163. 
Allowing  for  each  of  the  2,500  destroyed  only  one 
hundred  kifled,  it  would  make  the  loss  of  life  from 
villages  alone,  250,000.  Cutting  this  estimate  in 
two  would  leave  125,000,  which  is  25,000  more  than 
has  been  claimed  by  the  highest  figures,  which  doubt- 
less fall  far  short  of  the  actual  facts. 


76  AEMENIA. 

In  view  of  the  increasing  destitution,  and  larger 
demands  for  help,  I  consider  that  at  least  10,000 
pounds  will  be  required  to  carry  on  this  work. 

The  Situation  at  Gurun. 

I  have  just  received  an  exact  census  of  the  needy 
and  destitute  among  the  Armenians  at  Gurun.  My 
informant  says  :  I  visited  the  place,  some  time  ago, 
and  I  am  prepared  to  confirm  from  what  I  then 
saw,  the  correctness  of  the  census  I  have  received. 
To  attempt  to  describe  the  condition  of  the  people, 
is  beyond  my  power.  The  inky  blackness  of  the 
ground  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  over  what  was 
once  a  beautiful  and  attractive  place,  showed  me 
at  a  glance,  what  a  terrible  foe  fire  can  become. 
The  prostrate  walls  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  hundred 
homes,  that  formerly  were  nestled  so  cosily  in  the 
midst  of  as  many  thrifty  fruit  gardens,  were  only 
to  be  seen  where  once  was  every  indication  of  pros- 
perity and  contentment. 

As  I  entered  one  ruined  domicile  after  another,  I 
heard  only  the  piercing  cry  of  anguish  from  the  lips 
of  the  bereft  wife  or  mother.  The  surviving  people 
were  huddled  together  in  herds  in  stables;  sometimes 
in  a  solitary  room,  left  from  the  general  wreck,  all 
that  remained  standing  of  a  once  comfortable  home. 
The  miserable  people  were  clothed  in  rags,  confined 
only  to  the  person  by  a  string  around  the  waist,  and 
this  constituted  all  the  wearers  had  to  cover  their 


ARMENIA.  77 

bodies.  The  government  was  attempting  to  issue 
rations  to  the  miserable  people.  The  ration  con- 
sisted of  a  part  of  a  measure  of  wheat  for  each  person, 
doled  out  once  in  five  days.  A  private  letter  from 
Mardin,  just  to  hand,  contains  these  words :  "  About 
the  first  of  April,  the  police  began  to  make  careful 
inquiries  about  the  relief  work,  where  the  money 
came  from,  how  much  had  come,  where  we  were 
distributing,  to  how  many,  etc.,  etc.  The  next  day 
they  made  a  report  to  the  Mutesarif,  that  hereafter 
there  should  be  no  distribution  without  the  presence 
of  a  government  official.  The  same  day,  I  had  a 
telegram  from  our  distributing  agent,  whom  he  had 
sent  to  Redwan,  saying  that  the  Mudir  of  Redwan 
had  arrested  him,  and  sent  him  under  guard  to  Sert, 
and  that  he  was  now  in  prison.  A  few  days  after, 
word  was  sent  to  the  police,  that  there  was  to  be  a 
distribution  in  the  monastery  as  usual,  and  request 
was  made  that  some  one  be  appointed  to  be  present. 
We  waited  five  hours,  and  no  one  came. 

Distribution  Prohibited, 

"I  then  ordered  the  distribution  to  proceed.  Two 
days  later,  I  sent  in  a  financial  report  to  the  Mute- 
sarif, of  contributions  received  and  distributed,  as 
he  had  requested  me ;  and  also  a  paper  asking  him 
to  inform  us,  to  whom  we  should  look  for  the 
appointing  of  a  government  official,  whose  business 
it  should   be  to  be  present  at  our  distributions. 


78  ARMENIA. 

Next  day,  I  received  his  official  reply,  in  which  he 
said,  that  not  only  I  should  not  have  asked  such 
a  question,  but  that  I  had  no  right  to  make  any 
distribution  at  all,  and  that  accordingly  I  must  turn 
over  the  balance  of  relief  money  to  the  government 
committee  of  distribution.  Next  day  (his  note 
reached  me  at  sunset),  I  sent  out  word  to  all  our 
distributing  agents,  to  quit  work  until  further  notice. 
I  also  telegraphed  the  Central  committee  at  Con- 
stantinople, that  the  government  committee  wanted 
me  to  hand  over  the  money,  and  that  I  waited  their 
order.  Tn  a  few  days,  reply  came  to  the  effect,  that 
according  to  the  order  from  the  Sublime  Porte,  the 
only  condition  to  be  complied  with,  was  that  an 
authorized  official  from  the  local  commission  of  the 
government  should  be  present  at  our  distribution. 
I  conveyed  this  information  to  the  Mutesarif  in  a 
second  note,  and  asked  his  pleasure.  He  verbally 
denied  that  he  had  ordered  the  money  to  be  paid  to 
the  local  government  committee.  This  is  now  the 
fourth  day  since  I  asked  his  pleasure,  and  it  has  not 
yet  been  declared.  To-day,  I  received  a  telegram 
from  Sert,  in  which  our  agent  said,  he  was  to  start 
to  Mardin,  under  guard.  Meanwhile,  these  ten  days 
of  suspension  of  the  distribution  have  tired  me 
more  than  twenty-four  days  of  steady  relief  work, 
as  it  is  very  trying  to  refuse  aid  to  hungry  mortals, 
and  those  who  have  nothing  to  sleep  on  or  to  throw 
over  them  as  they  return  to  their  damp  houses  in 
the  village,  which  have  neither  doors,  nor  window 


ARMENIA.  79 

shutters  (the  plunderers  not  only  sacked  the  houses, 
but  carried  off  the  doors  and  window  shutters,  and 
other  loose  parts  of  the  buildings)." 

If  this  Fabian  policy  is  continued  twenty  days 
longer,  more  will  die  of  hunger  than  were  slain  by 
the  sword.  It  behooves  the  people  of  Europe  and 
America,  to  know  well  that  as  Sassoun  grew  to  the 
dimensions  of  seven  vilayets  last  fall,- so  now,  the 
question  is  not  the  destruction  of  the  Armenian 
nation,  but  the  larger  one  of  the  extermination  of 
all  Christians. 

The  situation  here  is  still  uncertain.  The  villa- 
gers about  here  do  not  dare  to  leave  the  monastery, 
to  which  they  have  fled  for  refuge,  and  return  to 
their  villages.  Christians  do  not  dare  to  go  about, 
either  on  the  plain,  or  in  the  mountains,  unless 
accompanied  by  friendly  Moslems. 

In  view  of  the  widespread  sympathy  that  is  now 
being  manifested  in  both  England  and  America  for 
this  practically  enslaved  and  down-trodden  race,  in 
the  overwhelming  calamities  that  have  so  recently 
befallen  them,  it  may  be  reasonably  supposed  that 
the  governments  and  peoples  of  these  two  countries 
are  interested  in  the  asking  and  answering  of  the 
question  :  "  What  is  to  become  of  the  Armenians  ?  " 

Whether  we  regard  this  question  as  referring  to  a 
chqice  between  Islam  or  the  sword  on  the  one  hand, 
or  to  a  choice  between  a  continued  struggle  for  exist- 
ence under  Moslem  oppression  and  extortion,  with 
the  constant  additional  dread  of  torture  and  massacre, 


80  AEMENIA. 

and  complete  emancipation  in  some  form  or  the  other, 
it  is  a  question  which  forces  itself  upon  the  Christian 
world  to-day  for  solution.  If  we  are  to  judge  by 
the  attitude  of  the  great  powers  of  Christendom  toward 
the  Armenians  in  their  indescribable  sufferings  during 
the  past  months,  England  and  America  are  the  only 
two  nations  that  choose  to  concern  themselves  with 
the  present  and  ultimate  fate  of  these  people.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  the  arms  of  the  Armenians  are 
to-day  outstretched  toward  Anglo-Saxon  Christen- 
dom for  hope  and  deliverance. 

Attitude  of  the  Powers. 

To  those  who  know  the  situation  as  it  stands  here 
to-day,  in  Asiatic  Turkey,  the  future  holds  not  a 
single  ray  of  hope  for  any  permanent  betterment  of 
the  condition  of  the  Armenians,  so  long  as  the  Otto- 
man Empire  holds  together ;  and  the  apparent  deter- 
mination of  the  European  powers  that  it  shall  not 
go  to  pieces  so  long  as  they  can  agree  together  to 
bolster  it  up,  leaves  but  little  prospect  of  relief  from 
that  source.  The  utter  inability  of  these  powers  to 
afford  them  any  protection  while  they  remain  sub- 
jects of  the  Turkish  government,  and  scattered  as 
they  are  to-day  in  every  corner  of  the  Empire,  has 
been  so  painfully  demonstrated  during  the  past  few 
months,  that  no  hope  of  help  and  protection  can  ever 
be  reasonably  expected  in  the  future  from  Christian 
Europe.     It  has  also  been  just  as  fully  demonstrated 


ARMENIA.  81 

that  some,  at  least,  of  the  European  governments  are 
absolutely  determined  that  no  part  or  parcel  of  the 
Empire  shall  be  assigned  to  them  where  they  would 
enjoy  any  measure  of  independence,  or  opportunity 
to  work  out  their  own  legitimate  destiny.  In  a  word, 
it  has  now  become  not  only  perfectly  evident  that 
the  Sultan  is  to  be  allowed  to  work  out  his  own  will 
toward  his  Armenian  subjects  with  impunity,  so  far, 
at  least,  as  European  interference  is  concerned,  but 
it  is  also  equally  evident  that  it  is  the  will  of  his 
Majesty  to  give  them  over  to  every  form  of  cruel 
oppression  and  diabolical  torture  and  outrage  which 
his  fanatical  and  inhuman  followers  may  choose 
to  devise  and  inflict  upon  them.  This,  then,  is  the 
answer  to  our  question  :  "  What  is  to  become  of  the 
Armenians?" — so  long,  at  least,  as  they  remain 
the  subjects  of  his  Imperial  Majesty,  Abdul  Hamid 
II.  The  history  of  the  past  few  months  is  to  be 
the  history  of  the  future.  The  only  possible  hope 
of  even  temporary  amelioration  is  that  which  a  change 
of  rulers  might  bring.  But  even  a  change  of  rulers, 
or  a  change  to  a  more  responsible  form  of  govern- 
ment, will  not  alter  the  attitude  and  spirit  of  Islam 
toward  a  subject  Christian  race. 

The  Work  of  Relief. 

The  noble  and  extensive  relief  work  which  is 
being  carried  on  to-day,  with  the  funds  provided 
from  England  and  America,  attempts  to  do  no  more 
6 


82  ARMENIA. 

than  to  provide  daily  bread  in  the  smallest  possible 
quantity  that  will  sustain  life,  and  clothing  sufl&cient 
to  hide  their  nakedness.  This  is  being  done  at  the 
outlay  of  about  one  half-penny  per  day  for  each  one 
of  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  destitute.  During 
the  past  six  months,  relief  equivalent  to  the  sum  of 
half  a  million  of  dollars,  has  been  distributed.  By 
this  means  many  thousands  of  lives  have  been  saved 
from  literal  starvation ;  and  yet  the  condition  of 
these  sufferers  to-day,  cannot  be  said  to  be  any 
real  improvement  upon  what  it  was,  when  this 
relief  work  was  undertaken.  Farmers  have  been 
plundered  of  their  implements  for  tilling  the  soil, 
and  the  seed  with  which  to  sow  their  fields.  Arti- 
sans have  been  robbed  of  their  tools,  and  the  homes 
of  these  people  have  been  utterly  despoiled,  while 
the  shops  of  the  merchants  have  been  left  bare.  It 
is  quite  impossible  with  the  funds  furnished  for  relief 
work,  to  undertake  to  provide  farmers,  citizens  and 
merchants,  with  those  lost  means  of  livelihood. 
Thousands  of  Moslems  have  become  rich  by  the 
plunder  and  spoliation  of  their  Armenian  neighbors ; 
and  the  100,000  pounds  sterling,  which  have  already 
been  contributed  by  the  Christians  of  England  and 
America,  does  not  represent  a  tithe  of  the  possessions 
of  the  Armenians  which  are  to-day  in  the  hands  of 
their  Moslem  masters  and  oppressors.  The  tide  of 
beneficence  for  relief  cannot  be  expected  to  flow 
continually,  and  even  if  such  were  possible,  it  would 
not  be  desirable  to  attempt  thus  to  support  an  utterly 


ARMENIA.  83 

impoverished  race.  On  the  other  hand,  the  knowl- 
edge that  to  regain  their  former  status  of  self-reliant 
industry,  would  simply  make  them  the  objects  of 
the  renewed  and  continued  rapacity  of  their  Moslem 
masters,  operates  seriously  against  renewed  efforts  to 
regain  their  former  position.  All  this  argues  the 
urgent  necessity  of  other  and  permanent  measures 
of  relief,  under  conditions  fitted  to  stimulate  and 
encourage  honest  industry. 

A  Colonization  Scheme, 

Every  instinct  of  true  manliness  and  Christian 
sympathy  rises  against  the  idea  of  abandoning  the 
Armenians  to  the  inevitable  fate  that  awaits  them 
as  subjects  of  the  Turkish  Empire.  God  has  other 
and  higher  purposes  for  them  to  serve  as  benefactors 
of  our  race,  and  shall  we  not  seek  to  open  to  them 
the  opportunities  which  will  afford  them  deliverance 
from  their  present  bondage  and  scope  for  enlarged 
activity  and  usefulness  ? 

Do  they  wish  to  Emigrate? 

The  very  suggestion  of  colonization  raises  at  once 
a  number  of  questions  of  primary  and  essential 
significance,  and  among  these :  Colonize  where  ?  Do 
they  wish  to  emigrate?  Will  the  Turkish  authorities 
permit  them  to  leave  the  country  ?  Would  such  a 
scheme  be  practicable  ?    Do  they  possess  the  qualities 


84  ABMENIA. 

essential  to  successful  colonization,  such  as  the  power 
of  adaptation  to  new  surroundings  and  conditions  ? 
Are  they  desirable  neighbors?  etc.,  etc.  In  the 
space  of  the  present  paper,  it  will  not  be  possible  to 
discuss  each  of  these  questions,  separately,  and  in 
detail.  In  answer  to  the  question,  "  where  ?  "  I 
answer,  unhesitatingly,  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  In  view  of  the  sympathy  shown  by  the 
American  and  English  governments,  and  the  gener- 
ous response  of  the  people  of  these  two  nations  to 
the  appeals  for  relief,  it  may  be  taken  for  granted, 
that  every  facility  would  be  offered  for  colonizing 
portions  of  the  Western  territories  and  provinces  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada,  with  these  people, 
and  that  they  would  receive  welcome  to  our  hospita- 
ble shores.  "  Do  they  wish  to  emigrate  ?  "  Let  the 
thousands  who  have  been  imprisoned  for  attempting 
to  emigrate,  answer  this  question. 

Will  the  Sultan  allow  itf 

Will  the  Turkish  government  permit  them  to 
leave  the  country  ?  Although  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment has  persisted  in  representing  the  Armenians 
as  the  only  disturbing  element  to  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  the  Empire,  and  as  being  the  constant 
objects  of  Turkish  pity  and  compassion,  and  tolera- 
tion, it  is  a  strange  fact,  that  laws  have  been  made 
prohibiting  them  on  pain  of  severe  penalties,  from 
leaving  the  country.     These  laws,  for  some  years 


ARMENIA.  85 

past,  have  been  rigorously  enforced ;  though  in  spite 
of  this,  some  have  escaped  from  this  forced  imprison- 
ment by  bribing  port  officials.  Now,  however,  I 
learn  the  government  has  adopted  a  different  policy, 
and  is  readily  giving  passports  to  Armenians  who 
wish  to  emigrate.  This  fact  would  much  facilitate 
any  scheme  for  colonization  which  might  now  be 
undertaken.  Even  should  the  government  again 
attempt  to  prevent  the  emigration  of  the  Armenians, 
surely  even  those  powers  which  are  most  fearful  of 
disturbing  the  status  quo  of  the  "  Eastern  question," 
could  be  trusted  at  least  to  use  their  authority  to 
compel  the  Sultan  to  refrain  from  any  attempt  to 
prevent  any  scheme  for  the  emigration  and  colonizing 
of  the  Armenians. 

Would  it  be  Practicable  f 

Would  a  scheme  for  colonization  be  practicable  ? 
Of  course,  in  the  present  impoverished  state  of  a 
large  portion  of  the  Armenians  in  the  interior  pro- 
vinces, any  scheme  for  successful  colonization  would 
require  the  sanction  and  at  least  partial  support  of 
the  American  and  British  governments.  The  people 
of  these  two  countries,  could  also  be  trusted  to 
respond  promptly  and  generously  to  an  appeal  to 
carry  out  any  such  scheme  of  practical  and  perma- 
nent relief,  for  those  they  are  now  supplying  with 
daily  bread  and  raiment.  Government  grants  of 
land,  or  special  facilities  for  easy  purchase,  would  of 


86  ARMENIA. 

necessity  become  a  factor  in  any  such  scheme.  A 
very  large  proportion,  however,  of  Armenians, 
would  undertake  to  emigrate  on  their  own  charges, 
and  would  at  once  form  a  self-dependent  element  in 
each  colony  or  community.  I  have  every  confidence 
in  the  practicability  of  colonization,  if  taken  up  in 
an  earnest,  determined  spirit. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  would  the  Armenians  make 
good  colonists,  and  are  they  desirable  neighbors? 
English  and  American  missionaries,  and  others  who 
have  lived  among  the  Armenians  and  who  have 
had  the  best  of  facilities  for  studying  their  national 
characteristics,  are  accustomed  to  designate  them, 
the  '^  Anglo-Saxons,"  or  "  Yankees  "  of  the  Orient. 
It  is  unquestionable,  that  they  possess  some  of  the 
characteristics  which  distinguish  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race.  They  are  hardy,  energetic,  and  intelligent 
people.  They  are  also  progressive,  and  with  the 
environments  of  our  free  Western  institutions  and 
civilization,  and  under  the  authority  of  capable  and 
responsible  governments,  they  would  unquestionably 
become  an  important  and  stable  factor  in  our 
Western  life  and  progress.  They  are  a  peaceful 
and  law-abiding  race,  devoted  to  agricultural  and 
commercial  pursuits.  They  possess  also  the  faculty 
of  becoming  skilled  artisans,  and  are  both  capable 
and  eager  for  intellectual  advancement.  They  wish 
to  live  at  peace  with  their  neighbors,  and  would  most 
assuredly  prove  themselves  not  only  good  neighbors, 
but  also,  loyal  devoted  citizens  of  our  responsible 
government. 


ARMENIA.  87 

Going  to  Cyprus. 

An  effort  is  now  being  quietly  put  forward  by 
certain  influential  Englishmen,  to  transport  the 
thousands  of  widows  and  orphans  in  Armenia, 
to  the  Island  of  Cyprus,  where  they  would  be 
granted  land,  and  helped  to,  at  least,  partly  sup- 
port themselves.  Difficulties  that  were  expected, 
have  arisen,  but  these  are  supposed  not  to  be 
insurmountable.  Hundreds  of  men  have  secretly 
escaped  the  country,  but  the  shores  are  all  pa- 
troled;  no  Armenian  is  allowed  to  go  from  one 
village  to  another,  without  giving  a  full  account 
of  his  movements,  and  without  securing  bond  for 
his  return  in  a  certain  number  of  days.  Every 
road  in  Armenia  is  guarded  by  brutal  Turkish 
soldiers,  who  shoot  down  Armenians  on  the  least 
pretext ;  and  we  may  depend  upon  it,  that  this 
wretched  state  of  affairs  will  continue  to  exist, 
until  some  strong  national  voice  is  raised,  and  if 
necessary,  some  strong  national  arm  is  stretched 
forward  in  defence  of  a  down-trodden  race,  that 
has  on  its  neck,  an  iron  heel,  and  over  its  pros- 
trate body,  the  flashing  sword  of  a  heartless  tyrant. 

Destitution  Increasing, 

The  two  most  alarming  facts  of  the  present  situa- 
tion in  Asiatic  Turkey  are  the  renewals  of  the  mas- 
sacres and  the  diminution  of  the  relief  contributions 
from  England  and  America. 


» 


S8 


ARMENIA. 


This  latter,  in  view  of  the  daily  increasiDg  number 
of  those  who  are  utterly  dependent  upon  these  con- 
tributions for  succor,  threatens  starvation  to  those  who 
owe  their  lives  to  this  beneficent  relief  work,  during 
the  past  few  months.  From  every  centre  (with  the 
exception  of  Van)  where  relief  work  is  being  carried 
on,  comes  the  same  story  of  the  increasing  number 
of  the  destitute,  who  look  to  this  source  of  relief 
as  the  last  and  only  means  of  sustaining  life.  It  is 
indeed  feared  by  many  that  the  worst  has  yet  to 
come,  and  that  famine  and  pestilence  are  all  but  in- 
evitable during  the  approaching  winter  months. 
If  agricultural  implements  and  seed  are  provided  for 
those  who  have  survived  in  the  extensive  farming 
districts,  where  the  villages  have  been  entirely  laid 
waste,  it  may  be  reasonably  hoped  that  the  reaping 
of  the  harvest  will  create  a  very  large  measure  of 
self-dependence  among  those  who  are  now  obliged 
to  rely  wholly  upon  the  help  sent  from  England 
and  America.  If  this  provision  is  not  made,  the 
demand  for  succor  will  be  as  great  six  months 
hence  as  to-day. 

As  to  the  renewals  of  the  massacres,  perhaps  it  is 
too  much  to  speak  of  the  massacre  at  Kilis,  a  fort- 
night ago,  under  the  appellation.  If,  however,  the 
reports  of  this  massacre  are  trustworthy  (and  we  have 
no  reason  for  discrediting  them),  it  was  of  a  sufficiently 
serious  nature  to  excite  the  most  anxious  apprehen- 
sions. But  whether  a  new  programme  of  massacres 
has  been  drawn  up,  and  we  may  expect  a  recurrence 


ARMENIA.  89 

of  the  bloody  scenes  of  October,  November  and 
December,  remains  to  be  seen.  Kilis  is  a  town  of 
considerable  size,  situated  nearly  midway  between 
the  seaport  of  Alexandretta  and  Aleppo.  The 
reports  of  the  number  of  Armenians  killed  vary 
from  100  to  200,  while  the  number  of  wounded  is 
said  to  be  "  some  hundreds.^'  No  detail  has  as  yet 
reached  me  here  from  Aintab,  which  is  only  about 
one  day  distant  from  Kilis,  and  in  the  absence  of 
such  direct  and  absolutely  reliable  testimony,  we  can 
only  hope  that  the  full  truth  will  prove  to  be  within 
the  limit  of  the  reports  already  on  hand. 

American  Missions. 

The  only  other  item  of  special  importance,  is  the 
issuing  by  his  Imperial  Majesty  of  an  order,  to 
the  Governor  of  the  interior  provinces,  authorizing 
the  immediate  expulsion  of  all  the  American  mis- 
sionaries from  their  vilayets.  This  was  issued  with- 
out any  notification  whatever  to  the  British  or 
American  representatives  in  Constantinople,  and  it 
was  not  until  three  days  later,  that  Sir  Philip  Currie 
obtained  the  intelligence  of  it  through  the  British 
consul  in  the  Moush  district,  where,  it  seems,  the 
Governor,  acting  promptly  on  the  authority  of  his 
master  in  Constantinople,  had  ordered  the  American 
missionaries  in  Bitlis  to  leave  within  forty-eight 
hours.  Sir  Philip  Currie  at  once  demanded  the 
immediate  cancelling  of  the  order,  and  that  a  copy 


90  ARMENIA. 

of  the  new  order  issued  to  each  of  the  Governors 
should  be  handed  to  him.  Through  his  prompt  and 
energetic  action,  his  demands  were  executed  without 
delay,  and,  I  presume,  but  few.  of  the  missionaries 
are  even  yet  aware  of  the  crisis  through  which  they 
have  just  passed.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
American  missionaries  are  distributing  the  relief 
forwarded  from  England  through  the  British  gov- 
ernment and  its  representative  in  Constantinople, 
Sir  Philip  Currie,  he  could  justly  claim  that  every 
one  of  the  missionaries  was  an  agent  of  the  British 
government,  and,  as  such,  he  had  an  equal  right  with 
the  American  representative  to  demand  that  they 
should  be  undisturbed  in  their  sphere  of  service. 
His  declaration  that  in  this  matter  England  and 
America  stood  together,  had  a  most  magical  effect 
upon  the  Sultan's  advisers,  and  doubtless  increased 
his  Majesty's  present  forebodings  of  the  possibility 
of  an  alliance  between  these  two  powers.  This  is 
the  spectre  which  now  haunts  his  dreams,  and  the 
united  action  of  the  two  representatives  on  this 
question  seems  to  have  had  the  effect  of  bringing 
him  into  immediate  submission  to  Sir  Philip  Currie's 
peremptory  demands. 

Letters  from  Relief  Corps, 

The  following  extracts  from  letters,  which  I 
have  received  from  Erzeroum  and  other  places, 
will  be  read  with  interest,  as  showing  the  urgent 


ARMENIA.  91 

necessity  for  continued  relief,  and  as  illustrating  the 
manner  in  which  relief  measures  are  now  being 
carried  out  in  many  centres  throughout  the  interior 
provinces. 

Our  work  of  relieving  the  destitute  goes  regu- 
larly on  increasing  in  volume.  In  this  province  we 
are  now  helping  over  50,000,  and  we  have  rejected 
thousands  of  applications.  As  I  wrote  you  before, 
we  are  not  attempting  to  relieve  poverty,  we  are 
simply  trying  to  keep  people  alive.  Yesterday,  a 
young  man  presented  himself  to  us,  who  had  walked 
ninety  miles  through  dangerous  districts,  crossing 
two  mountain  ranges  covered  with  snow.  Briefly, 
his  statement  was  this :  "  There  are  eighty-five 
Armenian  houses  in  our  village,  every  one  of  which 
was  plundered.  A  large  number  were  massacred. 
The  remainder  were  saved,  by  embracing  Islam- 
ism.  An  order  from  the  government,  subsequently 
received,  permitted  us  to  return  to  the  Church  of 
our  fathers.  Fifteen  families,  through  fear  of  their 
Turkish  neighbors,  have  not  yet  renounced  their 
recently-adopted  faith.  The  massacre  occurred  when 
the  grain  in  our  fields  was  ripe.  We  did  not  dare  to 
go  out  of  our  village  to  reap  it.  The  Kurds  came, 
divided  the  fields  among  themselves,  and  harvested 
our  crops  as  if  they  were  their  own.  The  present 
destitution  is  indescribable.  Several  have  died  of 
hunger.  My  father  and  brother  were  killed.  I 
escaped  as  by  a  miracle.  I  left  my  wife  and  small 
children  at  home,  accepted  the  risks  of  the  road, 


92  ARMENIA. 

that  I  might  come  to  lay  before  you  the  needs  of 
the  village,  and  that  of  three  others,  as  needy  as 
ours." 

The   General  Distress, 

Early  this  week,  fifty-seven  villagers  from  another 
district  arrived.  They  represented  eight  villages. 
They  came  on  foot,  the  whole  distance  of  about 
seventy-five  miles.  We  have  been  sending  relief 
to  the  villages  in  question.  On  asking  them  their 
errand,  they  replied  :  "  We  have  come  to  present  our 
sad  condition  to  you,  and  to  appeal  to  the  Governor 
for  oxen,  agricultural  implements,  grain  seed,  but 
especially  for  protection  from  the  lawless  Kurds, 
among  whom  we  dwell.  We  are  most  thankful 
for  your  aid,  without  which  many  of  us  would 
have  died  of  starvation.  But  now,  the  Spring  has 
come,  and  we  have  no  seed  to  sow,  and  if  we  had, 
we  have  no  oxen  to  plow  the  soil,  and  if  we  had,  we 
have  no  plows,  and  if  we  had,  we  have  no  barrows, 
and  if  we  had  all  these,  we  would  not  dare  to  go  out- 
side our  village  to  our  farms,  lest  the  Kurds  fall 
upon  us ;  and  if  we  could  sow  our  fields,  we  have 
no  assurance  that  we  would  reap  them,  and  if  we 
had,  we  have  no  confidence  that  the  Kurds  would 
not  make  a  rally  upon  us  next  Autumn,  and  plun- 
der us  again.  Is  there  no  way  to  escape  from  this 
country  ?  Is  there  no  deliverance  ?  We  are  willing 
to  sacrifice  our  homes  and  lands,  yes,  and  the  very 
clothes  we  have  on,  if  we  can  only  find  relief  from 


ARMENIA.  93 

this  grinding  destitution,  oppression,  anxiety,  dan- 
ger and  insecurity." 

Renewed  Massacres, 

On  being  asked  to  relate  their  experiences  during 
the  massacre,  one  of  the  number  said :  "  Without  any 
warning,  the  Kurds  swooped  down  upon  our  village. 
On  seeing  their  approach,  all  except  a  few  old  and 
infirm  persons  fled  to  a  hill  just  behind  the  village. 
Mothers  grasped  their  babes  to  their  bosoms;  fathers 
and  brothers  and  sisters  taking  the  hands  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  family,  made  a  rush  for 
the  hill.  Women  and  children  often  go  barefooted 
about  the  house,  so  that  many  of  our  number  were 
in  that  condition  when  the  cry,  *  Fly  for  your  lives, 
the  Kurds  are  upon  us,'  was  heard.  Many  had 
nothing  on  but  their  cotton  garments.  There  was 
no  time  for  any  preparation.  We  thought  of  nothing 
but  the  safety  of  our  lives.  The  weather  was  very 
cold,  and  the  snow  was  falling.  From  the  hilltop, 
could  be  heard  the  crying  of  suffering  women  and 
children,  by  the  residents  of  a  neighboring  village. 
After  the  Kurds  had  been  busy  six  hours,  carrying 
away  our  goods,  and  driving  off  our  cattle,  an  officer 
from  the  local  seat  of  the  government,  a  town  six 
miles  distant,  arrived.  He  gompelled  the  Kurds 
to  vacate  the  village ;  then  calling  us,  and  assuring 
us  that  he  had  come  to  protect  us,  induced  us  to 
descend.     He  promised  us  protection,  if  we  would 


94  ARMENIA. 

deliver  up  our  guns.  We  protested  that  we  had  no 
guns.  He  pressed  his  point.  We  as  firmly  denied 
that  we  had  weapons  of  any  kind.  While  this 
interview  occurred,  the  Kurds  returned  in  large 
force,  and  threatened  even  the  life  of  the  officer. 
He  informed  us  that  he  could  protect  us  no  longer, 
and  advised  us  to  fly  for  our  lives.  The  officer  had 
no  thought  of  protecting  us,  for  he  could  have  easily 
controlled  the  Kurds.  It  was  simply  a  plan,  by 
which  he  might  deprive  us  of  our  weapons,  if  we 
had  any,  that  we  might  not  be  able  to  defend  our- 
selves, the  order  for  our  massacre  having  been  issued. 
When  we  saw  that  there  was  no  hope  for  protection. 
We  immediately  scattered,  some  toward  one  village, 
some  toward  another,  most  of  us  taking  the  road  to 
a  village  six  miles  away.  It  was  then  late  in  the 
evening,  cold  and  snowing.  We  had  to  trudge  that 
long  distance  with  our  wives  and  children,  after  night- 
fall. Our  sufierings  were  indescribable.  Several 
women  aborted,  young  children  died  from  the  ex- 
posure, and  very  few,  if  any,  escaped  without  an 
attack  of  illness.  Twelve  of  our  number  were 
killed  by  the  Kurds.  The  body  of  one  old  woman 
was  afterward  found  in  a  ghastly  mangled  condition. 
For  ten  days  we  did  not  dare  to  return  to  our  village. 
When  we  did  return,  what  a  scene  of  desolation 
presented  itself  to  us.  Everything  portable  was 
gone;  all  live  stock  of  every  kind  was  driven  off. 
The  very  doors  of  our  houses  were  carried  away, 
and  in  some  cases,  the  houses  pulled  down,  and  the 


ARMENIA.  95 

timber  taken.  They  'swept  our  houses  clean/  an 
Oriental  phrase,  expressing  the  thoroughness  with 
which  the  plundering  was  done.^' 

Utter  Desolation, 

A  man  whom  we  know  well,  and  in  whom  we  have 
perfect  confidence,  reports  that  two  weeks  after  the 
pillage,  he  spent  a  night  in  the  village,  as  he  was 
travelling  through  the  district,  and  in  the  whole 
village,  he  could  not  find  a  cup  of  any  kind,  in 
which  to  take  a  drink  of  water.  He  further  reports, 
that  as  all  of  their  bedding  was  gone,  the  villagers 
had  to  sleep  in  hay  and  straw,  and  as  the  doors  of 
the  houses  were  carried  away,  they  were  exposed 
through  the  long  nights  to  the  bitter  wintry  blasts. 
All  were  ill  with  colds,  and  many  have  since  died 
from  the  effects  of  the  exposure. 

A  representative  of  another  village,  after  giving 
similar  experiences  of  attack,  flight,  massacre,  pil- 
lage, exposure,  plundering,  suffering,  and  present 
destitution,  ends  his  sad  recital  in  these  words  : 
"  Two  of  my  nephews,  grown  up  young  men,  with 
wives  and  children,  followed  after  the  Kurds,  with 
the  hope  of  recovering  some  of  their  sheep.  We 
have  never  seen  them  since ;  the  Kurds  murdered 
them,  and  threw  their  bodies  into  the  river,'' — then 
the  poor  old  man  burst  into  tears.  Our  hearts  bled 
for  him,  and  for  the  widows  and  orphans  of  these 
two  brave  young  men. 


96  ARMENIA. 

Another  man  said  :  "  They  killed  my  son,  who 
left  a  wife  and  three  children  with  me/'  and 
with  a  choking  voice,  he  added,  "And  1  am 
now  oldj  and  have  nothing  with  which  to  feed 
them." 

It  is  generally  thought  in  these  parts,  that  the 
conduct  of  the  Turkish  government  in  regard  to  the 
American  missionaries,  is"  an  attempt  to  see  how 
Europe  would  regard  any  measures  taken  for  the 
expulsion  of  Christian  missionaries  generally.  The 
result  can  hardly  be  satisfactory  to  the  Turk. 

The  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  are  fully  alive 
to  the  meaning  of  the  experiment,  and  Monsieur 
Cambon  shows  that  France  intends  to  claim  the  full 
rights  of  French  citizens,  whether  clericals  or  not. 
For  many  months,  an  attempt  was  made  to  dis- 
tinp-uish  in  the  massacres  between  the  Armenians  of 
the  National  church,  and  the  Catholic  Armenians, 
that  is,  who  are  in  the  union  with  Rome,  but  this 
distinction  could  not  be  observed  in  Armenia  itself. 
A  Moslem  ruffian  at  Trebizond  exclaimed :  "  Are 
they  not  all  Giaours  (Infidels)  alike?"  And  no 
satisfactory  answer  could  be  given  him. 

Foreign  Mission   Worh, 

This  attempted  distinction  did  not  deceive  the 
foreign  Catholic  missionaries,  and  their  silence  was 
not  to  be  purchased  by  securing  the  safety  of  their 
own  flocks.     In  many  places  they  have  done  their 


ARMENIA.  97 

best  for  the  Christian  population,  whether  they  were 
in  communion  with  Rome  directly,  or  not. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Christian  popu- 
lation of  Asia  Minor  and  Syria  had  sunk  into  a 
condition  of  ignorance,  which  is  not  remarkable,  in 
view  of  the  periodical  and  repeated  massacres  and 
plunderings. 

It  is  quite  true,  that  the  Mekitarist  congregations 
of  Armenians  in  Vienna  and  Venice,  established  by 
men  who  escaped  from  Turkey,  have  accomplished  a 
noble  work,  which  has  called  forth  congratulatory 
words  from  both  Mr.  Gladstone  and  Mr.  Ruskin. 
But  it  has  mainly  been  for  the  education  of  Ar- 
menian priests,  and  did  not  affect  the  mass  of  the 
laity. 

The  American  Board  of  Missions,  some  fifty  or 
sixty  years  ago,  set  itself  to  remove  this  ignorance. 
As  America  could  not  possibly  have  any  political 
ends  to  serve  by  sending  missionaries  into  the 
country,  there  seems  to  have  come  about  an  under- 
standing and  arrangement  with  English  and  German 
missionary  societies,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the 
Turkish  mission  fields  should  be  left  almost  exclu- 
sively to  Americans. 

American  Institutions, 

Whatever   might   be  said   of  England,  no   one 
would    believe   that   America   coveted   an  inch   of 
Turkish  territory.     American  missionaries,  as  every 
7 


98  ARMENIA. 

one  admits,  have  worked  solely  for  philanthropic, 
educational,  and  religious  ends. 

The  American  missions  have  colleges  at  Harpoot, 
Marsovan,  Beyrout,  and  Aintab.  They  have 
splendid  colleges  for  girls,  at. Smyrna,  Scutari — on 
the  Bosphorus — and  in  Stamboul.  They  have 
hospitals  at  Aintab^  Mardin,  and  Caesarea.  They 
have  boys'  and  girls'  schools  at  such  centres  as 
Broussa,  Afana,  Trebizoud,  Sivas,  Mosul,  Van,  and 
other  places;  and  until  a  few  years  ago,  wherever 
an  educated  Armenian  was  met,  he  had  in  all  likeli- 
hood been  educated  in  one  of  these  missionary 
schools. 

Robert  College. 

Last  Thursday  I  spent  the  evening  at  Robert 
College,  nine  miles  from  Constantinople,  on  the 
Bosphorus.  This  college  was  founded  thirty-three 
years  ago,  by  Mr.  Robert,  a  New  York  merchant, 
and  is  to-day  one  of  the  greatest  powers  for  good  in 
all  Asia  Minor.  It  owns  magnificent  property, 
under  imperial  charter ;  has  all  the  equipments  of  a 
well-furnished  American  college ;  has  in  its  classes 
350  boys  and  young  men  from  different  portions  of 
Turkey,  Syria,  Palestine,  Bulgaria,  Roumania,  and 
Greece,  and  its  distinguished  American  President, 
Dr.  Washburn,  and  his  assistants,  are  doing  much 
for  the  rising  generation  of  this  part  of  the  world. 

Some  years  ago,  a  good  deal  of  opposition  was 
encountered  by  the  missionaries  on  the  ground  that 


AEMENIA.  99 

their  object  was  to  establish  rival  churches,  and  to 
obtain  proselytes  from  the  Armenian  church.  Such 
opposition  has  long  since  been  overcome  by  the 
sturdy  common  sense  of  the  missionaries. 

Light  for  Asia, 

One  hundred  and  fifty  American  missionaries, 
many  of  whom  are  highly  educated,  are  now  cen- 
tres of  light  throughout  Asia  Minor  and  Syria ; 
their  influences  would  do  honor  to  any  civilized 
government,  and  they  are  everywhere  respected 
and  trusted  by  the  population,  Turkish  as  well 
as  Christian,  and  by  the  foreign  consuls  of  every 
part  of  Asia. 

Many  of  these  are  qualified  medical  men,  and  the 
value  of  their  medical  services  meets  with  an  un- 
bounded appreciation  in  districts  where  no  doctors 
can  be  found.  Although  they  take  no  part  in  poli- 
tics, their  instincts  are,  of  course,  against  anything 
in  the  nature  of  rebellion  ;  and  so  careful  are  they 
not  to  become  complicated  in  the  present  political 
condition  of  affairs,  that  Mr.  Green  had  to  abandon 
all  connection  with  the  mission  board,  before  he 
published  his  volume  of  evidence  on  the  Armenian 
wrongs  last  year.  Taking  into  consideration  these 
facts,  it  may  be  asked  :  "  Why  should  the  Turkish 
government  wish  to  get  rid  of  missionaries,  Protest- 
ants and  Catholics  alike  ?  " 


100  ARMENIA. 

No  Conversions  Possible, 

There  is  no  question  of  converting  Mohammedans 
to  any  form  of  Christian  faith,  for  the  penalty  of 
such  a  conversion  is  immediate  death,  and  neither 
Catholics  nor  Protestants  make  any  effort  in  this 
direction.  The  reason  must  be  sought  in  another 
direction.  Tlte  influence  of  the  missions  and  mis- 
sionaries has  a  tendency  to  elevate  the  tone  of 
morality  among  the  various  Christian  populations, 
and  the  education  they  have  given,  has  enabled 
thousands  to  become  comparatively  prosperous. 

As  in  the  case  of  Bulgaria  a  score  of  years  ago, 
the  prosperity  of  the  Christian  portion  of  the  com- 
munity aroused  the  envy  of  those  who  belonged  to 
the  ruling  class  and  creed ;  and,  instinctively,  the 
Turk  recognized  that  the  education  given  by  these 
foreign  "  Infidels,"  places  the  Christians  at  an  ad- 
vantage in  trade,  and  even  in  agriculture.  There 
are,  indeed,  a  number  of  cases,  both  in  the  provinces 
and  in  the  capital,  where  boys  and  girls  have  been 
secretly  sent  by  their  Moslem  parents  to  mission 
schools  to  obtain  secular  education ;  but  this  is 
always  attended  by  grave  dangers,  and  just  now, 
Mohammedan  authorities  are  more  watchful  than 
ever. 

Civilizing  Influences, 

It  is  also  felt  and  admitted  by  the  agents  of  the 
Sultan's  government,  that  these  missions,  with  their 


ARMENIA-.  101 

schools  and  colleges,  their  hospitals,  their  medical 
men  and  trained  nurses,  are  a  symbol  of  the  advance 
of  a  civilization  upon  western  lines  ;  and  as  progress 
in  this  direction  is  the  sure  death-knell  to  the  corrup- 
tion and  tyranny  of  Mohammedanism,  the  thought 
of  it  is  the  waving  of  a  blood-red  flag  before  the 
bellowing  Turkish  bull. 

Keeping  in  mind  these  facts,  we  can  easily  trace  the 
cause  for  the  recent  outbreak  against  Christian  mis- 
sions. Protestant  and  Catholic  missionaries  have 
been  largely  instrumental  in  turning  the  light  upon 
these  sad  events  in  Armenia,  during  these  latter 
mouths.  Newspaper  correspondents  could  be  for- 
bidden to  travel  in  the  interior;  the  letters  of 
Armenians  and  other  Turkish  subjects  could  be 
ostentatio'usly  examined,  and  their  writers  im- 
prisoned ;  but  these  foreign  missionaries  could  not 
be  prevented  from  telling  the  truth.  M.  Cambon's 
notification  to  the  Grand  Vizier  that  if  any  French 
citizens  at  Sivas  were  injujfed,  he  would  require  the 
head  of  the  Vali,  shows  how  far  France  has  prepared 
to  protect  her  missionaries. 

As  these,  and  the  American  missionaries,  know 
more  of  the  Armenian  massacres  than  any  other 
bodies  of  persons,  and  as  they  are  just  now  active  in 
the  distribution  of  relief  among  the  survivors  of  the 
massacres,  there  is  not  a  very  sweet  taste  in  the 
mouth  of  the  brute  who  sits  upon  the  Ottoman 
throne. 


102  ARMENIA. 

A  Recapitulation, 

Certain  persons  in  Europe  and  America  have 
ascribed  the  dreadful  massacres  which  have  taken 
place  in  Asia  Minor  to  sudden  and  spontaneous 
outbreaks  of  Moslem  fanaticism.  The  truth  is, 
that  while  these  outbreaks  are  sudden,  they  have 
taken  place  according  to  a  deliberate  and  precon- 
certed plan.  According  to  the  statement  of  many 
persons — French,  English,  Canadian,  Armenian  and 
native, — persons  trustworthy  and  intelligent,  who 
were  in  the  places  where  the  massacres  occurred, 
and  some  of  whom  were  witnesses  of  the  horrible 
scenes,  the  massacres  were  strictly  limited  in  regard 
to  place,  time,  nationality  of  the  victims,  and  gener- 
ally in  regard  to  the  method  of  killing  and  pillaging. 

In  Regard  to  Place, 

With  only  a  few  exceptions  of  consequence,  the 
massacres  have  been  confined  to  the  territory  of  the 
six  provinces  where  reforms  were  to  be  instituted. 
When  a  band  of  mounted  Kurdish  and  Circassian 
raiders,  estimated  at  from  one  to  three  thousand, 
approached  the  boundary  line  between  the  provinces 
of  Sivas  and  Angora,  they  were  met  and  turned 
back  by  the  local  authorities  and  certain  influential 
Mussulmans  of  the  latter  province,  who  told  the 
raiders  that  they  had  no  authority  to  pass  beyond 
the  province  of  Sivas.      The  only  places   where 


ARMENIA.  103 

outrages  occurred  outside  of  the  six  provinces,  were, 
first,  in  the  flourishing  seaboard  city  of  Trebizond ; 
secondly,  in  Marash,  Aintab  and  Oorfa,  and  in  these 
places,  Moslem  fanaticism  was  especially  stirred  by 
the  success  of  the  Armenian  mountaineers  of 
Zeitoun,  in  defending  themselves  against  their 
oppressors,  and  in  capturing  a  small  Turkish  gar- 
rison ;  and  finally  in  Caesarea,  and  here,  as  in  the 
places  just  mentioned,  the  Moslems  were  excited  by 
the  nearness  of  the  scenes  of  massacre,  and  by  the 
reports  of  the  plunder  which  other  Moslems  were 
securing. 

In  Regard  to  Time. 

The  massacre  in  Trebizond  occurred  just  before 
the  Sultan,  after  months  of  every  kind  of  opposition, 
was  at  last  compelled  by  England,  France  and 
Russia,  to  consent  to  the  scheme  of  reforms,  as  if  to 
warn  the  powers  of  Europe  that  in  case  they  per- 
sisted, the  mine  was  already  laid  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Armenians.  In  fact,  the  massacre  of  the 
Armenians  is  Turkey's  real  reply  to  the  demands  of 
Europe.  From  Trebizond,  the  waves  of  murder 
and  robbery  swept  on  through  almost  every  city 
and  town  and  village  in  the  six  provinces  where 
relief  was  promised  to  the  Armenians.  When  the 
news  of  the  first  massacre  reached  Constantinople, 
a  high  Turkish  official  remarked  to  one  of  the 
ambassadors,  that  massacre  was  like  the  small-pox, 
they  must  all  have  it,  but  they  wouldn't  need  to 


104  ARMENIA.  N 

have  it  the  second  time ;  thus,  quietly,  if  not  ma- 
liciously, hinting  at  what  might  be  expected.  Even 
the  Sultan,  when  striving  to  avoid  assent  to  the 
scheme  of  reforms,  told  the  ambassadors  by  way  of 
intimidation,  that  troubles  might  ensue,  and  the 
event  shows  that  he  knew  whereof  he  spoke. 

The  Nationality  of  the   Victims. 

These  were  almost  exclusively  Armenians.  In 
Trebizond,  there  is  a  large  Greek  population,  but 
neither  there  nor  elsewhere,  with  possibly  one  or 
two  exceptions,  have  the  Greeks  been  molested. 
Special  care  .has  also  been  taken  to  avoid  injury  to 
the  subjects  of  foreign  nations,  with  the  idea  of 
escaping  foreign  complications,  and  the  paying  of 
indemnities.  In  Marash,  three  school  buildings 
belonging  to  the  American  mission  were  looted, 
and  one  building  burned,  but  the  houses  and  the 
girl's  college  occupied  by  Americans  were  not 
touched.  In  Harpoot,  the  school  buildings  and 
houses  belonging  to  the  American  Mission  were 
plundered,  and  eight  buildings  burned,  but  none 
of  the  Americans  were  hurt,  though  shots  were 
fired  at  some  of  them.  In  this  place,  and  at 
Marash,  had  not  the  fanatical  Moslems  been  re- 
strained by  special  orders,  they  would  probably 
have  killed  the  Americans;  since  they  regarded 
the  Americans  in  those  centres  of  educational 
and  religious   work,   as   the  chief  agents   in   en- 


ARMENIA.  105 

lightening  and  elevating  those  whom  they  wished 
to  keep  as  their  docile  and  unambitious  sub- 
jects and  serfs. 

The  Method  of  Killing  and  Pillaging, 

With  slight  exceptions,  the  method  has  been  to 
kill  within  a  limited  period,  the  largest  number  of 
Armenians — men  of  business  capacity  and  intelli- 
gence— and  to  beggar  their  families  by  robbing 
them  as  far  as  possible  of  their  property.  Hence, 
in  almost  every  place,  the  massacres  have  been 
perpetrated  during  the  business  hours,  when  the 
Armenians,  in  whose  hands  in  almost  every  plun- 
dered city  at  least  nine-tenths  of  the  trade  was  con- 
centrated, were  in  their  shops.  In  several  places 
where,  on  account  of  fear,  the  Armenians  had  shut 
their  shops  and  stores,  they  were  induced  by  the 
assurances  and  promises  of  the  authorities  to  open 
them  just  before  the  massacre  began.  In  almost 
every  place,  the  Moslems  made  a  simultaneous 
and  sudden  attack  on  the  market  place,  just  after 
their  noon-day  prayers,  killing  the  shop-keepers 
and  their  clerks  in  their  shops,  or  when  they 
attempted  to  flee,  and  then  plundering  their  shops. 
In  Diarbekir,  not  satisfied  with  the  killing  and 
plundering,  they  also  burnt  the  shops ;  and  in 
Erzeroum  and  Sivas,  where  the  plunderers  were 
many  and  the  booty  insufficient,  they  looted  many 
houses. 


106  ARMENIA. 

Soldiers  Partioipate. 

In  every  place,  the  perpetrators  were  the  resi- 
dent Moslem  population,  reinforced  in  Baiburt 
and  vicinity,  by  the  Mohammedan  Lazes  from  the 
southeasterly  section  of  Asia  Minor,  bordering  on 
the  Black  Sea.  In  the  provinces  of  Erzeroum, 
Bitlis,  Diarbekir,  Harpoot,  and  Sivas,  the  Turks 
were  reinforced  by  the  Kurds,  and  in  the  province 
of  Sivas,  by  the  Kurds  and  Circassians,  while  in 
the  city  of  Erzeroum,  the  chief  perpetrators  were 
the  Sultan's  soldiers  and  officers,  who  began  the 
dreadful  work  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  and 
desisted  for  the  most  part  when  the  bugle  signalled 
them  to  stop.  In  Harpoot  also,  the  soldiers  took 
a  prominent  part,  firing  specially  on  the  build- 
ings of  the  American  mission,  with  Martini- Henry 
rifles  and  Krupp  cannon.  A  shell  from  one  of 
the  cannon  burst  into  the  house  of  the  American 
missionary.  Dr.  Bamum.  In  most  places  the  kill- 
ing was  by  the  Turks,  while  the  Kurds  and  Cir- 
cassians were  intent  on  plunder,  and  generally 
killed  only  to  strike  terror,  or  when  they  met 
with  resistance.  The  surprised  and  unarmed  Ar- 
menians made  little  or  no  resistance,  and  where 
some  of  the  Armenians,  as-  at  Diarbekir  and 
Gurun,  undertook  to  defend  themselves,  they  suf- 
fered the  more.  The  killing  was  done  with  guns, 
revolvers,  swords,  pick-axes,  clubs,  and  every  con- 
ceivable   weapon,   and   many   of    the    dead    were 


ARMENIA.  107 

horribly  mangled.  The  dead  were  generally 
stripped  and  dragged  to  the  Armenian  Cemetery, 
where  the  surviving  Armenians  were  compelled  to 
bury  them  in  huge  trenches,  as  in  Erzeroum,  where 
over  500,  and  in  Sivas,  where  over  800,  naked  and 
mutilated  bodies  were  covered  with  earth  in  one 
grave. 

Blood,  and  Booty  Estimates. 

The  plundering  was  perpetrated  with  the  most 
remorseless  cruelty.  The  shops  were  absolutely 
gutted.  In  the  great  city  of  Sivas,  not  a  spool  of 
thread  or  a  yard  of  cloth  was  left  in  the  market 
place.  Even  the  doors  of  some  of  the  plundered 
houses  were  torn  off  and  carried  away.  But  the 
refinement  of  cruelty  was  inflicted  upon  the  inhab- 
itants of  hundreds  of  villages,  upon  whom  the  Kurds 
came  down  like  the  hordes  of  Tamerlane,  and  robbed 
the  village  of  their  flocks  and  herds,  stripped  them 
of  their  very  clothing,  and  carried  away  their  bedding, 
cooking  utensils,  and  even  the  stores  of  provisions 
which  the  poor  villagers  had  with  infinite  care  and 
toil  laid  up  for  the  severities  of  a  rigorous  winter. 
Worst  of  all  is  the  bitter  cry  that  comes  from  every 
quarter,  that  the  Turks  and  Kurds  seized  and  carried 
off  hundreds  of  Christian  women  and  girls. 

The  numbers  killed  in  the  massacres  in  three 
months'  time  is  estimated  at  over  50,000 — almost 
entirely  the  well-to-do,  capable,  intelligent  men  of 
the  Armenian  population  in  the  six  to-be-reformed 


lOS  ARMENIA. 

provinces.  The  amount  of  property  stolen  from 
their  prostrate  subjects  by  the  Moslems  is  estimated 
at  10,000,000  pounds.  The  latest  estimate  is  much 
larger. 

The  Motive  of  the  Tarhs, 

This  is  apparent  to  the  most  superficial  observer. 
The  scheme  of  reforms  devolved,  in  civil  office, 
judgeships  and  police  participation,  on  Mohamme- 
dans and  non-Mohammedans  in  the  six  provinces, 
according  to  the  population  of  each  element  of  the 
locality.  This  was  a  bitter  pill  to  those  Mohamme- 
dan Turks  who  had  ruled  the  Armenians  with  a 
rod  of  iron  for  five  hundred  years ;  hence,  the  reso- 
lution of  the  Turks  was  soon  taken.  It  was  to 
diminish  the  number  of  the  Armenians ;  first,  by 
dealing  a  vital  blow  at  those  most  capable  of  taking 
any  part  in  any  scheme  of  reconstruction ;  and 
secondly,  by  leaving  as  many  as  possible  to  die  by 
starvation,  exposure,  sickness  and  terror,  during 
the  rigors  of  winter.  Surely,  the  arch-fiend  could 
not  have  suggested  a  more  terrible  and  effectual 
method  of  crippling  and  ruining  and  terrorizing 
the  Armenian  Christians  in  the  entire  six  provinces 
concerned. 

Some  may  wonder  how  the  Turkish  authorities 
should  be  so  blind  as  to  destroy  such  a  large  part 
of  their  best  tax-paying  subjects  in  Asia  Minor. 
And  it  is,  indeed,  a  wonder.  The  explanation  is, 
that  fanatical  hatred  of  those  whom  they  had  held 


AEMENIA.  109 

SO  long  in  cruel  subjection,  and  who  were,  accord- 
ing to  the  scheme  of  reform,  soon  to  enjoy  some 
form  of  equality,  was  stronger  than  self-interest. 
The  thought  of  the  Turk  was  to  make  sure  of 
the  country,  and  he  could  conceive  of  no  other 
way  than  by  diminishing  the  number  of  the  Ar- 
menians, and  utterly  terrorizing  and  impoverish- 
ing the  survivors. 

Christendom's  Apathy, 

But  did  not  the  Turk  fear  the  intervention  of 
Christian  Europe?  Not  much ;  certainly  not  enough 
to  keep  them  from  carrying  out  an  effective,  albeit 
diabolical,  plan  for  vengeance.  And  they  had  right 
to  fear  not  very  much,  for  did  not  400,000,000  of 
Christians  witness  last  year  the  slaughter  in  Sassoun 
of  some  thousands  of  Armenians,  by  Turks  and 
Kurds,  without  extorting  from  the  responsible 
Turkish  authorities  the  punishment  of  a  single  man 
engaged  in  the  diabolical  work ;  or  even  the  slightest 
indemnity  for  the  utterly  impoverished  survivors  ? 
Nay,  more ;  has  not  the  Sultan  laughed  Europe  to 
scorn,  by  decorating  Zekki  Pasha,  commander  of 
the  troops  engaged  in  the  carnage,  and  Bahri  Pasha, 
the  former  cruel  Governor  of  Van  ?  And  have  not 
the  Kurds  been  permitted  again  to  rob  the  survivors 
of  the  Sassoun  massacre,  and  even  to  destroy  the 
little  huts  put  up  by  British  charity  during  the  past 
summer  ? 


110  ARMENIA. 

Moslem  Mendacity, 

But  the  refinement  of  the  cruelty  appears  in  this ; 
that  while  the  Turkish  authorities  have  thus  deliber- 
ately aimed  to  exterminate  as  far  as  possible  the 
Armenian  element  in  the  six  provinces,  they  have 
attempted  to  cover  up  their  deeds  by  the  most  colossal 
lying  and  misrepresentation.  By  the  publication  of 
mendacious  telegrams  from  provincial  authorities, 
they  have  tried  to  make  Europe  and  America 
believe  that  the  Armenians  have  provoked  these 
massacres,  by  attacks  on  Moslem  worshippers,  dur- 
ing their  hours  of  prayer,  and  by  other  like  acts  of 
consummate  folly. 

It  is  true  that  on  September  30th,  some  400  young 
Armenians,  contrary  to  the  entreaties  of  the  Armenian 
patriarch  and  the  orders  of  the  police,  attempted  to 
take  a  well-worded  petition  to  the  Grand  Vizier  in 
the  main  government  building  in  Stamboul,  and 
thus  precipitated  a  conflict.  It  is  also  true  that  the 
oppressed  mountaineers  of  Zeitoun  captured  a  small 
garrison  of  Turkish  soldiers.  It  is  likewise  true, 
that  in  several  places,  small  bands  of  Armenians, 
driven  to  desperation  by  the  failure  of  Europe  to 
secure  the  fulfilment  of  treaty  stipulations  in  behalf 
of  their  people,  have  enraged  the  Turks  by  revo- 
lutionary attempts,  and  the  Turks  have  retaliated 
by  imprisoning,  torturing  and  killing  hundreds  of 
Armenians,  many  of  whom  were  innocent  of  any 
rebellious  acts. 


ARMENIA.  Ill 

No  Provocation  Given, 

The  universal  testimony  of  impartial  foreign  eye- 
witnesses is  that,  with  the  above  exceptions,  the 
Armenians  have  given  no  provocation,  and  that 
almost  all  the  telegrams  of  the  provincial  authorities 
accusing  the  Armenians  of  provoking  the  massacres, 
are  sheer  fabrications  of  names  and  dates.  If  the 
Armenians  made  attacks,  where  are  the  Turkish 
dead  ?  For,  while  the  Armenian  victims  are  num- 
bered by  the  thousand,  even  the  authorities  have 
mentioned  but  a  few  slain  among  the  Turks,  and 
those  few  were  killed  in  only  one  or  two  places,  and 
in  self-defence,  at  Diarbekir.  Is  it  probable  that 
7,000  unarmed  and  defenceless  Armenians,  sheep 
among  wolves,  would  attack  23,000  Kurds  and 
Turks  in  the  city  of  Bitlis  ?  Yet,  this  was  the 
charge  of  the  Turkish  authorities — a  fitting  device 
to  cover  up  their  bloody  work.  Strangest  of  all, 
he  who  is  at  the  head  of  all  authority  in  Turkey, 
and  responsible  above  any  and  all  others  for  the 
cold-blooded  massacre  and  plundering  of  the  past 
two  months,  writes  a  letter  to  Lord  Salisbury  and 
pledges  his  word  of  honor  that  the  reforms  shall 
be  carried  out  to  the  letter !  The  very  refine- 
ment of  imposition !  And  the  six  great  Christian 
powers  of  Europe  still  treat  this  man  with  infinite 
courtesy  and  deference;  their  representatives  still 
dine  at  his  table,  and  some  of  them  still  receive 
his  decorations ! 


112  ARMENIA. 


The  Spirit  of  Islamism. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  all  these  dreadful 
atrocities  are  the  truest  and  most  perfect  exhibition 
in  this  nineteenth  century  of  the  spirit  of  Moham- 
medanism. It  is  but  following  the  example  of  the 
Arab  hordes  of  the  seventh  century  in  Palestine, 
Syria,  Mesopotamia,  Asia  Minor,  Africa  and  Europe. 
As  then,  so  now,  the  alternative  of  the  hated  Chris- 
tian, is  Islam  or  death.  This  alternative  has*  come 
directly  to  many  Armenians  in  the  recent  massacres* 
Many  souls  have  gone  up  as  martyrs  to  the  Christian 
faith,  while  hundreds  if  not  thousands  of  Armenians 
have  accepted  circumcision  as  Mohammedans  in 
order  to  save  life  and  property.  Indeed,  it  is  said, 
that  the  large  Armenian  village  of  Husenig,  quite 
near  to  Harpoot  itself,  from  very  terror,  professed 
to  accept  Mohammedanism.  And  the  dreadful 
alternative  of  Islam  or  death  was  offered  by  those 
who  have  dazzled  and  deceived  Europe  with  Hatti 
Shereefs  and  Hatti  Humayouns,  promulgating  civil 
equality  and  religious  liberty  for  their  Christian 
subjects.  Not  only  has  alternative  been  offered  to 
the  Armenian  men,  but  from  every  quarter  comes 
the  cry,  that  hundreds  of  Armenian  women  and 
girls  have  been  seized  and  carried  off  by  the  Turks 
and  Kurds. 

Governmental  Connivance, 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose,  as  many  Europeans 
have  done,  that  the  local  authorities  in  the  cities 


ARMENIA.  113 

of  Trebizond,  Erzeroum,  Erzinghian,  Bitlis,  Har- 
poot,  Arabkir,  Sivas,  Amasia,  Marahsovan,  Ma- 
rash,  Aintab,  Oorfa,  and  Caesarea,  could  not  have 
suppressed  the  fanatical  Moslem  mobs  and  restrained 
the  Kurds.  The  fact  is,  that  the  authorities  gener- 
ally looked  on,  while  the  slaughter  and  pillage  were 
going  on,  without  raising  a  hand  to  stop  it,  save  in 
one  or  two  places,  and  even  there  the  authorities 
did  intervene  and  stoj)  the  slaughter,  in  the  limited 
period  during  which  the  Moslems  were  allowed  to 
kill  and  rob,  had  expired.  At  Marsovan,  the  limit 
of  time  was  four  hours.  Here,  as  in  almost  every 
city,  the  adult  male  Mussulmans  performed  their 
noon-day  prayers  in  their  mosques,  asking  God  to 
help  them  in  their  bloody  work,  and  then  rushed 
upon  the  Christians. 

Within  less  than  four  hours,  the  merciful  governor 
of  Marsovan,  with  soldiers  and  police,  interfered 
and  stopped  the  horrid  work,  but  meanwhile  one 
hundred  and  twenty  of  the  leading  Armenian  traders 
and  business  men  had  been  killed,  and  their  goods 
stolen. 

Duration  of  Massacres. 

In  several  places  the  slaughter^  and  pillage  con- 
tinued from  noon  to  sun-down,  or  later.  At  Sivas 
they  continued  for  a  whole  day,  and  even  afterward 
for  several  days,  some  twenty-five  Armenians  a  day 
being  killed.  In  every  place,  however,  the  carnage 
was  stopped  as  soon  as  the  authorities  made  an 
8 


114  ARMENIA. 

earnest  effort  to  do  so.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
intervention  of  the  authorities,  after  the  set  time  of 
one,  two,  or  three  days,  the  entire  Christian  popu- 
lation would  have  been  exterminated.  And  the 
bloody  work  was  stopped,  not  because  the  Moslems 
did  not  want  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of  the  Christians 
and  pillage  all  their  goods,  but  because  those  who 
inspired  the  slaughter  thought  that  one,  two  or  three 
days  of  killing  was  about  as  much  as  Europe  would 
stand  at  one  time. 

Turkish   Toleration. 

Nor  let  it  be  supposed  that  the  Turks  as  such, 
hate  the  Armenians  as  such.  The  Armenians  have 
been  for  centuries  the  most  submissive  and  profitable 
subjects ;  and  they  would  still  be  most  loyal,  if,  in- 
stead of  the  increasingly  oppressive  policy  of  the 
Sultan  Abdul  Hamid,  their  lives  and  honor  and 
property  had  been  even  tolerably  protected.  All 
this,  many  Turks  know  very  well,  and  regret  the 
cruel  and  utterly  impolitic  course  of  the  present 
sovereign.  The  Turk,  as  a  man,  has  many  excellent 
qualities.  It  is  his  religion  which  at  certain  times 
makes  a  devil  of  him.  It  is  the  very  essence  of 
Mohammedanism  that  the  Giaour  has  no  right  to 
live  save  in  subjection.  While  assured  of  their 
power,  the  Turks  treated  the  Armenians  and  other 
Christian  subjects,  not  with  equality,  but  with  a 
measure  of  toleration.     It  is  Europe  insisting  on 


ARMENIA.  115 

reforms  for  the  Armenians  that  has  enraged  the 
Turks  against  the  Armenians.  The  Turks  know 
that  in  a  fair  and  equal  race  the  Armenians  will 
outstrip  them  in  every  department  of  business  and 
industry,  and  they  see  in  any  fair  scheme  of  reform, 
the  handwriting  on  the  wall  for  themselves.  Save 
for  this  fear,  the  Turks  would  be  content  to  tax  and 
fleece  the  Armenians  for  an  unlimited  period,  as 
they  have  done  for  the  past  five  hundred  years. 

Religious  Contention, 

If  the  scheme  of  reforms  had  had  in  view  the 
sections  of  the  country  where  the  Greeks  predomi- 
nate, the  Turks  would  have  killed  and  robbed  the 
Greeks  as  readily  as  they  have  robbed  the  Armenians. 
Is  the  war  of  the  Greek  revolution  forgotten  ?  Did 
not  the  Turkish  soldiers,  in  1822,  kill  23,000  Greeks 
on  the  Island  of  Scio?  Did  they  not  sell  some 
47,000,  mostly  women  and  children,  into  slavery  ? 
Did  they  not  kill  thousands  of  Catholic  Christians 
in  the  district  of  the  Lebanon,  and  in  Damascus, 
during  1860?  Did  they  not  ruthlessly  slaughter 
15,000  Bulgarians  in  1876?  As  formerly,  so  now 
it  is  not  a  race  fight  at  all,  for  the  Mohammedan 
Turks  cordially  affiliate  with  the  Mohammedan  Slavs 
(formerly  Christians),  and  with  Kurds,  Circassians 
and  Lazes.  It  is  a  religious  contention,  and  the 
Mohammedan  Turks  are  resolved  to  keep  the  Chris- 
tian subjects  of  whatever  nationality  under  foot; 


116  ARMENIA. 

and  in  case  attempts  of  any  kind  are  made  to  give 
the  Christians  real  equality  and  participation  in  the 
government,  the  Turks  will  kill  them  one  by  one  or 
occasionally  in  open  massacre,  unless  the  powers  who 
intervene  for  the  relief  of  the  Christians  do  it  with 
armed  force.  What  is  the  end  to  be?  Extermina- 
tion of  the  Armenian  race  in  Turkish  Asia  Minor, 
unless  a  superhuman  power  smites  the  oppressor,  or 
unless  some  of  the  human  powers  come  to  the  defence 
of  the  Christians  with  sufficient  force.  If  the  Ar- 
menians are  to  be  left  as  they  are,  it  is  a  thousand 
pities  that  Europe  ever  mentioned  them  in  the  treaty 
of  Berlin  or  subsequently ;  and  to  trust  reforms  in 
behalf  of  the  Armenians  to  those  who  have  devoted 
six  months'  time  to  killing  and  robbing  them,  is 
simply  to  abandon  the  Armenians  to  destruction, 
and  to  put  the  seal  of  Christian  nations  to  the 
bloody  work. 

The  Latest  Acts  of  the  Great  Assassin  and 
his  Followers, 

Recent  developments  of  the  Sultan  may  indicate, 
let  us  hope,  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  his  corrupt 
government  in  Turkey.  During  the  latter  week  of 
August,  1896,  a  riot  occurred  in  the  city  of  Constan- 
tinople, contradictory  reports  of  which  were  sent  out 
to  the  world.  An  effort  was  made  by  the  Turkish 
government  to  impress  the  civilized  world  that  the 
Armenians  were  responsible  for  the  terrible  affair. 


AKMENIA.  117 

The  despatches  which  came  to  America,  informed 
us,  that  a  gang  of  desperate  Armenians  made  an 
attack  upon  the  Ottoman  Bank,  and  was  hokling  it, 
after  having  destroyed  valuable  property.  These 
men  were  captured,  not  killed,  and  instead  of  being 
put  to  death,  were  quietly  transported  out  of  the  city, 
and  released.  The  Turkish  press  after  this  lenient 
treatment  of  these  outlaws,  applauded  the  clemency 
of  the  Turkish  officials.  Further  information  soon 
came  to  us,  that  these  supposed  Armenians  were  in 
a  state  of  desperation,  and  this  bold  act  of  theirs, 
was  merely  performed  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
Powers  to  the  Armenian  Question,  thereby  hoping  to 
bring  about  a  settlement.  But  now,  it  seems  that 
these  "  desperadoes  "  were  not  Armenians  at  all,  but 
Turks  in  the  government  employ.  They  were  ac- 
cording to  the  best  authority  '^agents  provocateurs," 
deliberately  employed  by  the  city  police,  to  do  as 
they  did,  so  that  discredit  might  be  brought  upon  the 
Armenians,  and  thus  give  to  the  Turkish  government 
an  excuse  for  repeating  in  the  streets  of  Constanti- 
nople the  terrible  horrors  that  had  been  enacted  in 
the  interior  towns  and  villages.  The  Satanic  plot 
worked  well.  The  bank  was  raided,  an  outcry  was 
raised  against  the  Armenians,  and  nearly  ten  thou- 
sand men,  women  and  children  were  beaten  and  shot 
to  death  in  cold  blood,  with  every  conceivable  acces- 
sory of  torture  and  outrage.  At  this  writing,  the 
powers  appear  to  be  aroused,  and  English  and  other 
men-of-war  are  hastening  toward  Turkish  waters, 


118  ARMENIA, 

and  we  are  tempted  to  hope  against  hope,  that  the 
despotism  of  Islam  is  gasping  its  last  breath. 

A  suggestive  correspondence  between  one  of  the 
religions  organizations  in  America  and  the  Sultan  of 
Turkey,  with  reference  to  the  massacre  of  the  Ar- 
menians, has  just  been  made  public.  This  corres- 
pondence consists  of  a  petition  to  the  Sultan  by  the 
Evangelical  Alliance  for  the  United  States,  in  behalf 
of  the  persecuted  Christians  in  Turkey,  and  the 
response  of  the  assassin  through  his  accredited  repre- 
sentative to  this  country.  This  petition  to  the  Sultan 
was  drawn  up  late  last  spring ;  it  was  sent,  after 
being  handsomely  engrossed  on  heavy  parchment, 
to  the  State  Department  at  Washington,  with  the 
request  that  it  be  sent  to  Constantinople.  For 
months  the  authors  of  this  paper  waited  for  a  reply, 
but  no  word  of  its  arrival  at  its  destination  was 
learned  until  a  few  days  ago,  when  William  E. 
Dodge,  the  President  of  the  Alliance,  found  a  reply 
from  the  Turkish  Minister  on  his  return  from  Europe. 
We  give  our  readers  the  petition  of  the  Alliance, 
bearing  date  of  March  26th,  1896.    It  is  as  follows  : 

"His  Imperial  Majesty  the  Sultan: — 

"  By  direction  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  for  the 
United  States,  which  represents  members  of  many 
churches  and  is  in  accord  with  the  convictions  of 
millions  of  American  Christians,  and  which  has 
among  its  chief  objects,  the  promoting  of  religious 


ARMENIA.  119 

liberty  and  the  opposing  of  religious  persecution,  we 
respectfully  memorialize  Your  Imperial  Majesty  with 
regard  to  freedom  of  conscience  and  worship,  and 
the  persecutions  of  Christians  within  your  Empire. 

"  We  take  the  welcome  opportunity  of  assuring 
Your  Majesty  that  we  are  true  well-wishers  of 
both  yourself,  and  your  dominion.  We  crave  for 
you,  and  for  all  rulers  of  nations,  the  blessing 
which  God  gives  only  to  those  who  "do  justly  and 
love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  before  Him."  More 
than  a  year  ago,  there  came  to  us  tidings  of  sore 
religious  persecution  in  Turkey.  But  we  delayed 
our  remonstrance,  hoping  that  the  alleged  facts 
might  prove  to  be  overstated.  We  remembered  the 
solemn  pledges  of  religious  toleration  which  had 
been  written  in  the  treaties  of  your  Government, 
and  proclaimed  to  your  people  and  the  world  in 
Imperial  decrees.  We  called  to  mind  the  justly 
famous  Hatti  Humayoun,  of  1856,  which  is  still  in 
full  force,  with  the  sacred  guarantees  of  both  civic 
and  religious  rights  of  Your  Majesty's  non-Mussul- 
man subjects.  We  recollected  the  glorious  words 
put  therein  by  his  Imperial  Majesty  Sultan  Abdul- 
Medjik  :  '  As  all  forms  of  religion  are  and  shall  be 
fully  professed  in  my  dominion,  so  no  subject  of  my 
Empire  shall  be  hindered  in  the  exercise  of  the 
religion  he  professes,  nor  shall  he  be  in  any  way 
annoyed  on  this  account.' 

"  We  bore  in  mind  the  treaty  of  July,  1878, 
known  as  the  Berlin  treaty,  which  not  only  con- 


120  ARMENIA. 

firmed  the  rights  of  religious  liberty,  and  the  exer- 
cise of  all  forms  of  religion  in  every  part  of  the 
Ottoman  Empire,  but  also  declared,  ^  The  Sublime 
Porte  undertakes  to  carry  out  without  further  delay, 
the  reforms  demanded  by  local  requirements  in  the 
provinces  inhabited  by  the  Armenians,  and  to  guar- 
antee their  security  against  the  Circassians  and  the 
Kurds.' 

"  How  could  we  believe  in  the  face  of  these 
enactments  and  Imperial  declarations,  that  religious 
persecutions  had  become,  within  Your  Majesty's 
Empire,  a  wide-extended  and  persistent  reality? 
But  the  painful  evidence  has  accumulated,  and  has 
been  Substantiated,  until  we  can  be  no  longer  silent. 
By  the  personal  witness  of  victims,  and  by  the 
written  testimony  of  observers,  whom  we  know  to 
be  competent  and  truthful,  the  terrible  facts  have 
come  before  us. 

"  Fwst — We  respectfully  submit,  that  within  the 
last  eighteen  months,  multitudes  of  the  unoffending 
Christian  subjects  of  Your  Majesty's  government 
have  been  massacred.  Thousands  of  those  who 
trusted  in  your  protection  and  obeyed  your  laws 
have  been  foully  murdered  ;  and  under  such  circum- 
stances as  force  us  to  the  reluctant  conclusion  that 
the  attack  was  inspired  by  religious  hatred.  By 
the  fact  that  the  massacres  have  been  confined  to 
Christians,  and  by  the  further  fact  that  again  and 
again  the  alternative  openly  offered  has  been  an 
escape  from  torture  and  death  by  an  abjuring  of  the 


ARMENIA.  121 

Christian  faith,  we  are  compelled  to  believe  that  the 
hostile  motive  has  been  essentially  religious. 

" /S'gcond^Additional  proof  that  religious  free- 
dom in  Your  Majesty's  Empire  has  been  recently 
and  now  is  unlawfully  assailed,  is  found  in  the  fact, 
that  in  hundreds  of  instances  Christian  parents  have 
been  violently  compelled  to  pronounce  a  formula 
which  is  held  to  commit  irrevocably  both  them- 
selves and  their  children  to  a  faith  which  is  against 
their  conscientious  desire  and  belief.  Christian  men 
have  been  subjected  by  physical  force  to  that  circum- 
cision which  in  Your  Majesty's  domain  is  regarded 
as  complete  proof  that  a  man  is  not  a  Christian. 

"  Third. — Hundreds  of  Christian  churches,  mon- 
asteries and  schools,  have  been  plundered  and  de- 
molished, and  utmost  pains  have  been  taken  to 
destroy  the  sacred  Christian  books,  and  to  dishonor 
that  Cross,  which  Christians  regard  as  the  very 
emblem  of  their  faith.  In  this  respect  also,  the 
destruction  has  been  as  methodical  as  resistless. 

^^  Fourth, — Thousands  of  Christian  women  have 
been  outraged  and  thousands  of  Christian  children 
slain  by  the  same  persons  who  have  murdered 
Christian  men,  forced  other  Christian  men  to  for- 
swear Christianity  and  receive  circumcision,  and 
laid  waste  Christian  churches,  monasteries,  and 
schools.  It  is  unmistakably  significant,  that  for 
this  supreme  profanation  and  cruelty  as  for  the 
other  cited  crimes  against  religious  freedom,  Chris- 
tians alone  have  been  selected  as  victims. 


122  ARMENIA. 

"In  short,  and  from  first  to  last,  the  outrages 
fall  manifestly  within  the  mode  and  spirit  of  that 
religious  persecution  which  is  wholly  forbidden 
by  the  law  of  Your  Majesty's  Empire. 

"  And  here,  permit  us  to  assure  your  Imperial 
Majesty  that  as  our  American  Missionaries  in 
your  dominion  have  always  been  your  sincere 
well-wishers,  and  as  they  have  always  exercised 
their  influence  in  favor  of  loyalty,  and  against 
disloyalty,  so  they  have  found  the  overwhelming 
majority  of  your  Christian  subjects,  thoroughly 
faithful  to  their  sovereign  and  to  his  just  author- 
ity. Whatever  may  have  been  the  unlawful  designs 
and  acts  of  a  very  few  restless  agitators,  it  is  certain 
that  the  many  thousands  on  whom  woe  is  already 
fallen,  have  been  entirely  innocent  in  both  thought 
and  deed.  Therefore,  in  the  name  of  those  Chris- 
tians in  the  United  States,  whom  we  represent,  and 
in  the  confidence  that  we  also  speak  the  views  of 
those  Christians  represented  by  our  sister  Evan- 
gelical Alliances  in  Great  Britain,  France,  Belgium, 
Switzerland,  Germany,  the  Netherlands,  Denmark, 
Italy,  Spain,  Greece,  Turkey,  Syria,  South  Africa, 
Japan,  China,  and  New  South  Wales,  we  respect- 
fully ask  of  Your  Majesty,  that  the  existing  and 
sacred  guarantees  of  religious  freedom  in  Turkey, 
shall  straightway  be  fulfilled,  and  henceforth  be 
upheld.  Candor  and  sincerity  toward  Your  Majesty 
constrains  us  to  say  with  all  solemnity  and  earnest- 
ness, that  unless  this,  our  petition  is  granted,  and  per- 


ARMENIA.  123 

seditions  are  brought  to  an  end,  and  the  Christians  in 
Turkey  are  granted  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness,  we  shall  leave  no  effort  untried  to  unite 
all  the  liberty-loving  people  of  the  civilized  world,  in 
urging  the  Governments  to  avenge  the  wrongs  and 
sufferings  of  the  Christians  within  your  Empire. 

"  In  closing,  we  renew  our  declaration  of  sincere 
regard  for  Your  Majesty^s  personal  welfare,  and  for 
the  rightful  peace  and  prosperity  of  your  throne  and 
kingdom.  We  declare  to  you,  that  if  similar  perse- 
cutions should  anywhere  arise  against  Mussulmans 
we  would  seek  their  protection  as  earnestly  as  in  the 
present  instance  we  seek  the  protection  of  the  Chris- 
tians. In  Your  Majesty's  behalf  we  remember  that 
the  same  God  who  has  declared  that  He  will  over- 
throw those  who  commit  violence  and  oppression, 
has  freely  promised  to  uphold  those  who  rule  in 
righteousness  and  love.  May  He  direct  Your 
Majesty  in  all  your  ways. 

"William  E.  Dodge,  President'^ 

The  belated  reply  of  the  Porte  was  sent  in  French, 
a  translation  of  which  is  as  follows : 


Imperial  Legation  of  Turkey, 

Washington,  August  4,  1896. 

"Sir:  I  have  received  to-day  the  following  de- 
spatch, dated  July  19,  1896,  from  His  Excellency 


124  ARMENIA. 

Tewfik  Pacha,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  of  His 
Imperial  Majesty  the  Sultan,  in  answer  to  the  letter 
of  March  26,  1896,  which  the  Evangelical  Alliance 
for  the  United  States  of  America  has  caused  to  be 
sent  to  His  Imperial  Majesty  : 

"  *  The  Evangelical  Alliance  for  the  United  States 
of  America  has  sent  to  His  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Sultan,  our  august  master,  a  letter,  a  copy  of  which  is 
herewith  enclosed,  concerning  the  pretended  outrages 
against  the  liberty  of  conscience  and  the  persecutions 
of  Christians  in  certain  provinces  of  the  Empire. 

'As  you  will  perceive  by  perusing  this  piece  of 
writing  the  statements  therein  made,  drawn  from 
hostile  sources,  do  not  conform  to  the  truth.  Indeed, 
all  impartial  persons  are  unanimous  in  recognizing 
that  since  the  reign  of  the  Sultan  Osman  I,  the 
founder  of  the  illustrious  Imperial  dynasty,  up  to 
our  day,  the  Christians  of  Turkey  have  been  treated 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  other  subjects  of  the 
Empire,  and  that  the  Imperial  Government,  has 
protected  their  property,  their  lives,  and  their  honor, 
and  has  assured  them,  full  and  entire  liberty  of  con- 
science. This  principle,  sanctioned  by  the  Imperial 
Firman,  which  the  Sultan  Orkahn  delivered  to  his 
brother,  when  he  had  appointed  him.  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Imperial  Army,  has  been  later  on, 
confirmed  in  a  more  precise  manner  by  his  illustrious 
successors.  It  can  be  seen,  therefore,  how  complete 
the  security  is  which  the  Christians  of  Turkey  en- 
joyed, since  the  foundation  of  the  Empire.    Further- 


AEMENIA.  125 

more,  the  state  of  prosperity  in  which  the  latter  find 
themselves,  is  an  actual  proof  that  the  Imperial 
Government  has  assured  them,  as  well  as  to  its  other 
subjects,  all  the  well-being  which  they  might  desire ; 
that  the  complaints  of  those  among  them,  who 
pretend  to  be  oppressed,  are,  absolutely  without 
foundation,  and  that  the  latter  have  recourse  to  this 
expedient,  in  order  to  justify  their  seditious  attitude. 
While  the  inhabitants  of  our  land  are  thus  at  liberty 
to  profess  their  religion,  the  other  nations,  profiting 
by  the  state  of  barbarism  of  African  people,  that 
have  not  yet  been  reached  by  civilization,  force  them 
to  embrace  Christianity,  violating  thus  their  liberty 
of  conscience.  Again,  nobody  will  deny  that  a  great 
number  of  Mussulmans  of  other  countries,  see  them- 
selves forced  to  emigrate  to  Turkey,  in  order  to  have 
their  honor,  their  lives,  and  their  property  protected 
against  the  arbitrary  and  vexatious  procedure  which 
they  suffer  at  the  hands  of  the  Christians,  and  to 
seek  a  refuge  with  the  Khalifat. 

^I  pray  you  to  inform  me  when  this  letter  is 
received,  and  permit  me  to  assure  you  of  my  great 
respect.' 

"  Mavhoyeni. 

"To  the  President  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance 
for  the  United  States  of  America,  New  York." 

The  mendacity  of  this,  the  latest  official  declaration 
of  the  Turkish  government  upon  its  attitude  toward 


126  AEMENIA. 

the  Christian  subjects  within  its  domains,  is  so  appar- 
ent, that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  give  a  formal  denial 
of  it;  but  the  words  of  Rev.  Dr.  Josiah  Strong, 
General  -Secretary  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  for 
the  United  States,  are  so  forceful,  that  we  reproduce 
them  : — 

"  The  official  reply  of  the  Sultan  is  a  superlative 
illustration  of  consummate  impudence  and  men- 
dacity. The  Turkish  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
regards  the  fact  that  the  Turkish  government  has 
laid  itself  under  obligations  to  protect  its  Christian 
subjects,  a  sufficient  proof  that  they  have  enjoyed 
full  and  entire  liberty  of  conscience,  and  adds :  It 
can  be  seen,  therefore,  how  complete  the  security  is 
which  the  Christians  in  Turkey  enjoyed  since  the 
foundation  of  the  Empire.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  say,"  continued  Dr.  Strong,  ^'  how  many  of  the 
Christian  subjects  of  the  Turk  have  been  massacred 
since  Osman  I ;  but  making  no  account  of  any 
number  less  than  ten  thousand  at  a  time,  there  have 
been  a  hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  slaughtered 
since  1822,  as  follows:  In  1822,  fifty  thousand 
Greeks;  in  1850,  ten  thousand  Nestorians  and 
Armenians;  in  1860,  eleven  thousand  Maranites 
and  Syrians;  in  1876,  ten  thousand  Bulgarians; 
in  1894,  twelve  thousand  Armenians;  in  1895-96, 
sixty  thousand  Armenians.  The  way  in  which 
the  Imperial  government  has  protected  their  prop- 
erty, their  lives  and  their  homes,  is  illustrated  by 
estimates   of  the   recent  massacres  believed  to  be 


ARMENIA.  127 

authentic :  over  sixty  thousand  Armenians  have 
been  murdered,  their  homes  plundered,  leaving  over 
three  hundred  thousand  in  destitution,  of  whom 
about  forty  thousand  are  widows,  some  twenty 
thousand  dishonored  maidens,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  fatherless  children.  This  state 
of  prosperity  in  which  they  find  themselves  in  the 
words  of  the  letter,  illustrates  the  kind  of  well-being 
that  the  Turkish  government  has  secured  for  them. 
If  the  subject  were  not  so  hideous,  we  might  suppose 
that  the  Turkish  Minister  were  indulging  himself 
in  humor.  The  Evangelical  Alliance  suffers  a  sense 
of  shame  and  indignation  that  the  nations  represent- 
ing Protestant,  Roman  Catholic  or  Greek  Chris- 
tianity, should,  with  ample  knowledge  of  the  facts, 
have  stood  by  and  permitted  these  atrocities  at  the 
hand  of  the  great  assassin.'^ 

An  Intelligent  Armenian  Refugee  in  America 
Interviewed. 

The  hand  of  persecution  is  driving  many  Ar- 
menians from  Turkey.  While  I  was  in  Constan- 
tinople a  French  vessel  dropped  anchor  in  the 
Bosphorus,  containing  three  hundred  Armenian 
refugees  in  the  steerage,  who  boarded  the  ship  at 
one  of  the  Asiatic  ports.  They  fled  the  country  to 
save  their  lives ;  and  hoped  to  make  France  their 
future  home.  The  Sultan,  on  learning  that  they 
had  reached  the  waters  before  his  Capital,  sent  an 


128  AEMENIA. 

order  for  them  to  leave  the  vessel  and  deliver 
themselves  into  his  hands.  The  command  was 
emphasized  by  the  presence  of  his  soldiers  on  the 
pier ;  and,  with  the  greatest  interest,  I  watched 
these  uniformed  Turks  pacing  up  and  down,  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  terror-stricken  men,  women  and 
children,  on  board  the  ship.  During  the  same  week 
hundreds  of  Armenians  were  imprisoned  in  Con- 
stantinople without  just  provocation  ;  and  we  felt 
that  there  could  be  only  one  fate  for  these  poor 
creatures  who  were  fleeing  for  their  lives,  if  they 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Sultan.  For  several  days 
their  lives  seemed  to  tremble  in  the  balances  ;  but, 
at  last,  if  we  were  correctly  informed,  the  heroism 
of  the  French  Captain  saved  them  from  the  cruelty 
of  the  Turkish  government.  He  was  reported  to 
have  positively  refused  to  deliver  up  these  passengers 
on  the  command  of  his  Imperial  Majesty,  unless  a 
written  order  to  this  effect  was  received  from  the 
French  Consul  in  Constantinople.  These  Armenians 
were  under  a  French  flag  ;  they  were  booked  for 
Marseilles ;  and  the  commander  of  the  vessel  took 
the  position  that  they  could  not  be  forcibly  removed 
unless  a  representative  of  the  French  Republic  so 
ordered.  It  was  with  joy  that  we  learned  that 
the  vessel  sailed  out  of  the  Bosphorus  toward  the 
Mediterranean  with  all  these  refugees  on  board. 

Among  the  Armenians  who  have  lately  left  their 
native  land  because  of  the  massacres,  is  a  scholarly 
gentleman,  with  whom  I  have  had  repeated  con- 


ARMENIA.  129 

versations,  while  I  was  preparing  the  last  pages  of 
this  book.  This  cultured  Armenian,  Mr.  Strapon 
Romly,  driven  out  of  his  country  by  Turkish  atroci- 
ties, spent  a  while  in  France,  and  then  sailed  to 
America.  Just  before  leaving  home  his  brother 
was  shot,  his  house  was  burned  and  many  of  his 
neighbors  were  massacred.  His  knowledge  of  seven 
tongues  enabled  him  to  fill  several  important  govern- 
mental offices  in  Turkey ;  for  years  he  has  been 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  social,  commercial 
and  political  affairs  of  the  country ;  and  he  served 
as  an  official  interpreter  during  the  Russo-Turkish 
war  of  1877-78.  He  held  several  prominent  literary 
positions  in  his  native  land ;  is  the  author  of  a  work 
on  Armenian  habits  and  customs ;  and  is  a  member 
of  the  National  Geographic  Society,  Washington, 
D.  C.  Just  as  this  work  was  going  to  press,  I  was 
visited  by  Mr.  Romly ;  and  desiring  to  get  the  calm 
opinion  of  an  intelligent  and  conservative  Armenian 
on  the  "  Eastern  Question,'^  I,  American-like,  inter- 
viewed him ;  and  his  answers  to  several  leading  ques- 
tions bearing  on  the  government  under  which  he 
lived  during  so  many  perilous  years,  will,  doubtless, 
be  of  interest  to  the  readers. 

Question  I.  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  con- 
duct of  the  European  Powers  toward  Armenia  ? 

Answer  :  "  The  conduct  of  the  European  Powers 
toward  Armenia  is  both  shameful  and  unaccount- 
able. The  much  talked-of  ^  European  concert ' 
has  not  helped  matters ;  but  seemingly  it  was  a 


130  AEMENIA. 

secret  agreement  to  perpetuate  misrule  and  massa- 
cres not  only  in  Armenia,  but  throughout  the 
dominion  of  the  Turkish  Empire.  I  do  not  think, 
of  course,  that  any  European  Power  will  admit  that 
this  is  true,  but  look  at  the  fruit,  and  then  judge  the 
character  of  the  tree  thereby.  If  the  European 
Powers  had  half  the  regard  for  Christianity  that  the 
Mohammedans  have  for  their  religious  principles, 
their  conduct  would  not  have  been  a  disgrace,  not 
only  to  their  religion  but  also  to  the  civilization 
of  this  enlightened  age.  I  do  not  believe  that 
the  Sultan  and  his  followers  would  have  remained 
quiet,  if  Mohammedanism  had  been  subjected  to 
similar  treatment.  In  the  first  place,  Armenians 
have  been  Christiaus  for  many  centuries ;  and  con- 
sidering how  heroically  they  have  stood  their 
ground,  as  a  Christian  nation,  during  all  these 
years,  they  deserve  the  sympathy  and  protection 
of  stronger  Christian  people.  But,  aside  from 
this,  they  have  serious  claims  upon  the  Powers, 
apart  from  religious  kinship,  growing  out  of 
international  treaties,  which  they  have  allowed 
to  be  shamefully  ignored.  Let  me  say  that  it 
is  unfair  for  the  European  Powers  to  mix  in 
Turkish  affairs,  unless  they  are '  sincere  in  their 
assurances,  and  unless  they  mean  to  act  when 
crises  arise,  for  which  they  are  largely  respon- 
sible. The  Armenians  have  been  misled  by  false 
hopes ;  and  it  is  a  thousand  pities  that  the 
Powers    ever    interfered,   if   they    continue    their 


ARMENIA.  131 

ruinous  policy.  Pursuing  their  present  course  is 
only  to  excite  the  hatred  and  fanaticism  of  the 
Turks;  and  consequently,  bring  additional  troubles 
upon  the  victims  of  their  malice.  I  tell  you  that 
the  present  attitude  of  the  so-called  European 
Powers  is  ruinous  to  Armenia  and  is  an  encour- 
agement to  the  Turk  to  murder  and  plunder  at 
his  will.  Far  better  would  it  have  been  if  Europe 
had  kept  hands  off;  and  unless  she  takes  a  firm 
stand  now,  it  will  soon  be  too  late  forever." 

Question  II.  What  is  the  motive  of  the  Turks 
in  persecuting  their  best  citizens  ? 

Answer :  "  This  is  a  question  that  has  greatly 
puzzled  me.  The  Armenians  are  more  intelligent, 
wealthy  and  energetic  than  the  Turks,  and  without 
them  I  cannot  tell  what  would  become  of  the  other 
subjects  of  the  Sultan  in  Eastern  Turkey.  By  their 
brains  and  honest  toil,  the  Armenians  prove  to  be  a 
great  blessing  to  the  country,  and  if  they  were  gone, 
who  would  pay  the  taxes,  who  would  embellish  the 
Turkish  literature,  who  would  keep  up  trade  ?  The 
question  might  be  asked,  *  What  was  the  motive  of 
the  Turks  in  persecuting  the  Bulgarians  before  the 
year  1878?'  This  was  a  mystery  to  the  world; 
but  they  are  not  so  necessary  to  the  Turks  as  the 
Armenians  are.  The  Turks  deny  the  statements  I 
make  about  the  influence  of  the  Armenians  in  Tur- 
key ;  but  while  they  had  the  Bulgarians  under  their 
rule,  the  expression,  ^As  block-headed  as  a  Bulgarian,' 
was  proverbial  in  the  country.     Russia  was  more 


132  ARMENIA. 

appreciative  of  them,  and  now  no  one  calls  them 
'block-headed/  who  is  acquainted  with  their  pro- 
gressive lives.  I  sometimes  think  that  the  Turks 
are  puzzled  themselves  to  understand  their  own 
motives  in  persecuting  the  Armenians.  I  am  sure 
that  they  detest  the  influence  of  Europe  in  Turkey, 
and  the  more  the  Europeans  play  with  the  question 
without  taking  a  decisive  stand,  the  worse  it  will  be 
for  the  Armenians.  The  Turk  must  take  care  of 
his  turban,  and  so  long  as  outside  powers  give  to 
these  people  a  quasi  friendship,  and  seem  to  help 
them  to  become  more  influential  and  prominent  in 
the  country,  the  more  the  Sultan  and  his  followers 
will  persecute  them.  If  possible,  the  Mohammedan 
will  not  allow  any  other  religionist  to  become  more 
powerful  in  Turkey  than  he  is.  In  the  last  analysis 
I  think  that  you  will  find  that  the  motive  is  partly 
religious  and  partly  political." 

Question  III.  What  is  the  relation  of  Russia  to 
Turkey? 

Answer  :  "  This  relation  is  more  intimate  and 
powerful  than  the  outside  world  seems  to  think. 
Bulgaria  is  next  door  to  Constantinople ;  and  it  is 
important  that  this  door  be  guarded.  Let  the  people 
in  England  and  America  speak  about  humanity  ; 
but  Russia  don't  care  a  fig  for  any  such  thing. 
Politics  and  humanity  are  two  different  things  with 
them  ;  but  with  the  Turks,  politics  and  religion  are 
inseparable.  The  Sultan  is  the  head  of  Moham- 
medanism, as   well  as   the   ruler  of  the   empire. 


ARMENIA.  133 

When  both  his  religion  and  his  state  are  in  danger, 
what  Turk  cares  for  the  honor  of  womanhood  or 
the  blood  of  Christians  !  I  say,  if  only  one  of  the 
great  Powers  had  as  much  love  for  Christianity  as 
the  Turks  have  for  Mohammedanism,  Armenian 
butchery  would  not  have  continued  for  a  fortnight. 
These  massacres  would  have  been  stopped  either  by 
the  guns  from  the  Dardanelles  or  by  the  hordes 
from  down  the  slopes  of  the  Caucasian  Mountains. 
The  Turks  may  neglect  their  gun-boats  in  the 
waters  of  the  Dardanelles ;  but  Russia  will  not  allow 
anything  to  harm  them.  The  American  Bancroft  and 
the  British  men-of-war  may  cast  anchor  under  the 
shadow  of  the  palace  of  the  Sultan,  and  may  enjoy 
themselves  discussing  the  question  of  humanity  and 
the  European  Concert ;  but  all  this  is  poor  comfort 
for  the  panic-stricken  Armenians  in  their  houses  and 
the  American  churches,  who  mourn  over  their  dead 
and  await  their  own  massacre." 

Question  TV.     What  will  the  end  be  ? 

Answer:  "It  seems  to  me  that  eventually  the 
European  Powers  must  respect  their  international 
oath.  A  few  years  ago,  western  nations  knew  little 
or  nothing  about  the  Armenians.  The  Turks  have 
done  a  good  thing  in  not  only  bringing  the  so-called 
*  Eastern  Question '  into  prominence ;  but  in  intro- 
ducing Armenia  and  the  Armenians  to  the  world. 
The  blood  of  these  men,  women  and  children  is 
crying  from  the  dust,  and  surely  the  ears  of  all 
nations  cannot  be  stopped  to  it.    As  long  as  there  is 


f-' 


134  AEMENIA. 

a  score  of  these  heroic  people  left,  the  story  will  be 
told.  By  man  came  woe,  and  by  man  God  will 
execute  justice.  Up  to  this  time  there  has  been  far 
too  much  sentiment.  This  will  not  impress  the  Turk 
and  cannot  feed  the  starving  Armenian.  We  do  not 
want  *  presentations '  by  the  Bancroft,  and  we  have 
had  enough  beautiful  resolutions.  If  Armenians  are 
saved  from  extermination,  vigorous  methods  must 
be  adopted  and  forcefully  executed.  From  the  his- 
tory of  former  treaties,  what  reason  has  the  Sultan 
to  respect  the  Woice'  of  any  nation.  Under  some 
circumstances,  the  ^  voice '  of  a  thundering  cannonade 
is  the  only  effectual  thing !  But  I  still  hope  that 
out  of  all  of  this  chaos  and  cruelty  there  will  come, 
by  the  guidance  of  more  than  human  wisdom,  peace 
and  prosperity." 

Question  Y.  Is  colonization  for  the  Armenians 
practicable  ? 

Answer :  "  This  should  be  the  last  resort,  and  it 
can  only  be  done  by  the  intervention  of  the  ^  Powers.' 
To  allow  this  would  be  humiliating  to  those  nations 
that  pledged  protection  to  Armenia  in  their  own 
country.  This  would  be  a  triumph  for  Turkey,  for 
it  would  be  a  confession  that  the  combined  Christian 
nations  could  not  defend  the  Armenians  in  Asia 
Minor.  There  are  many  difficulties  in  the  way^of 
the  colonization  scheme.  Remember  there  are  no 
railroads,  and  millions  must  come  thousands  of  miles 
over  the  roughest  country.  Many  of  those  who  are 
able  are  leaving  the  country ;  but  what  about  the 


ARMENIA.  135 

numberless  widows  and  orphans  who  are  absolutely 
helpless?  Armenia  is  not  a  village,  but  a  great 
country,  extending  over  many  miles  and  containing 
a  great  population.  Is  it  possible  to  colonize  a  whole 
nation  who  are  generally  land  owners  ?  Who  will 
buy  the  property  owned  by  these  Armenians  ?  Will 
the  Turks? !  Will  the  ^Powers? !'  The  Armenians 
are  attached  to  their  land,  where  their  fathers  have 
lived  through  all  these  centuries.  Why  should  they 
be  driven  out  of  their  homes  ?  Instead  of  compelling 
them  to  leave  their  country,  will  it  not  be  far  better 
to  teach  Turks  to  behave  themselves  and  hear  the 
voice  of  civilization,  if  not  the  guns  of  iron-clads  ? 
I  would  like  to  see  the  Turks  converted,  and  know 
that  there  is  a  just  God  in  the  heavens,  and  feel  that 
that  ^  one  touch  of  nature  makes  us  all  akin  ; '  but 
as  this  will  evidently  be  a  very  slow  process,  in  the 
meantime,  Armenians  must  be  protected  in  Armenia, 
or  this  noble  people  will  be  wiped  off  of  the  face  of 
the  earth.'' 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  earnest  words  of  Mr. 
Romly,  spoken  from  the  pulpit  and  platform  in 
America  may  bring  the  Armenian  question  intelli- 
gently before  our  people ;  and  may  his  presence  with 
us  result  in  a  great  blessing  to  the  Armenian  cause. 


We  close  the  first  part  of  this  volume  with  an 
expression  of  the  hope  that  the  present  ruler  of 


136  AEMENIA. 

Turkey,  who  has  proven  himself  to  be  the  incarna- 
tion of  hypocrisy,  cruelty  aod  mendacity,  will  be 
dethroned  by  the  Powers  of  Europe,  and  that  there 
may  be  a  complete  revolution  of  affairs,  for  the 
better,  in  the  Ottoman  Empire. 


II 


PAST  HISTORY. 


II. 

PAST   HISTORY. 


ARMENIA  is  a  mountainous  country,  abounding 
in  rivers  and  lakes ;  and  its  physical  features 
have  had  great  influence  upon  the  fortune  of  its  in- 
habitants. As  the  surface  of  the  land  was  ridged  by 
many  mountains,  there  were  isolated  regions,  which 
fact  favored  the  growth  of  tribal  life.  Each  tribe 
struggled  to  be  independent.  Another  fact  to  be 
remembered  is  that  Armenia,  on  account  of  its  loca- 
tion, has  been  trampled  into  dust  both  by  devasta- 
ting armies  and  by  migrating  hordes. 

Primitive  History, 

The  early  history  of  Armenia  is  given  almost  in  an 
unbroken  narrative  by  an  Armenian  historian  of  the 
fifth  century  (A.  D.).  He  connects  the  origin  of  the 
nation  with  the  building  of  Babel  and  the  distribu- 
tion of  races;  and  points  out  that  the  Armenians  be- 
long to  the  Japhetic  branch  of  the  human  family. 

139 


140  ARMENIA. 

Haig,  the  chief  of  the  Armenians,  defeated  Nim- 
rod  of  the  Hebrew  records.  Our  sketch  of  Arme- 
nian history  does  not  permit  us  to  enter  into  a  detailed 
account  of  events  which  took  place  during  remote 
ages.  Some  links  of  the  historical  chain  are  missing ; 
therefore,  leaving  to  the  scientist  and  explorer  the 
consideration  of  this  epoch,  we  will  take  up  some 
figures  and  events  which  are  based  upon  reliable 
historical  records. 

Assyria,  at  the  height  of  its  power,  included  Baby- 
lonia, Mesopotamia,  Media,  Syria,  Phoenicia,  a  large 
part  of  Palestine,  Arabia,  and  Egypt.  Armenian 
history  and  Assyrian  inscriptions,  in  cuneiform  char- 
acters, tell  us  that  the  Armenians  were  fighting  for 
the  independence  of  their  political  life  against  the 
Assyrians,  who  attacked  Armenia  towards  the  12th 
century.  No  sooner  had  the  Assyrians,  after  sub- 
duing the  country,  departed  into  the  seat  of  the 
empire,  than  the  Armenians  revolted.  This  same 
spirit  of  independence  is  plainly  seen  in  the  As- 
syrian inscriptions  of  Khorsabad,  a  small  village 
near  Mosal. 

The  following  Armenian  narrative  confirms  what 
was  said  above.  The  two  sons  of  the  Assyrian 
monarch,  Sennacherib,  having  slain  their  father,  took 
refuge  in  the  mountains  of  Armenia  (680).  If  the 
Assyrians  had  any  political  influence  in  that  country, 
neither  would  the  sons  have  ventured  to  flee  there, 
nor  would  the  Armenian  prince  have  accepted  them 
cordially. 


ARMENIA.  141 

In  the  seventh  century  the  Assyrian  empire  was 
overthrown  by  the  Median  conqueror  Cyaxares  and 
two  allies,  Nabopolassar,  the  Babylonian  prince,  and 
Barayr,  the  Armenian  prince.  Barayr  was  the  first 
Armenian  king. 

Tigranes  I,  was  the  strongest  king  of  the  ruling 
dynasty  and  was  famous  for  his  wisdom  and  bravery. 
Cyrus  the  Great,  endeavored  to  make  him  his  ally  ; 
alid  indeed,  Tigranes  I  was  with  the  Persian  king 
in  wars  against  Astyages  (558),  Croesus  (550),  and 
Belshazzar  (king  of  Babylon)  (538).  The  Hebrew 
prophet  Jeremiah  alludes  to  the  participation  of 
Armenians  in  the  downfall  of  Babylon  in  his  book 
LI,  27. 

The  successors  of  Tigranes  I,  fought  for  their 
liberty  against  the  Persians  who  were  growing 
stronger  and  stronger.  The  wedge-shaped  inscrip- 
tion graven  by  the  order  of  Darius  Hystaspes  (521- 
486)  upon  a  rock  near  Karnak,  reveals  the  insuffi- 
ciency of  the  great  king's  means  in  subduing  the 
whole  of  Armenia.  The  part  that  submitted  to  his 
power  was  one  out  of  twenty  satrapies. 

Our  limited  space  does  not  allow  us  to  reproduce 
here  the  picture  of  Armenian  household  life  in  the 
fifth  century  by  Xenophon  in  his  Anabasis. 

Vahe,  the  last  king  of  this  dynasty,  was  an  ally 
of  the  great  king  Darius,  against  the  common  enemy 
Alexander  the  Great.  With  his  death  his  kingdom 
was  overthrown  (330). 


142  ARMENIA. 

Armenia  was  under  the  Macedonian  power ;  and 
after  the  great  war  at  Ipsus  (301)  came  under  the 
kings  of  the  era  of  the  Seleucidae,  who  usually 
appointed  Armenian  princes  as  governors  of  Ar- 
menia. 

Artaxias,  one  of  these  Armenian  governors,  avail- 
ing himself  of  the  defeat  of  Antiochus  the  Great, 
declared  himself  king,  independent  of  the  Seleucidae. 
The  new  king  formed  an  alliance  with  the  Romans. 
It  was  he  who  built  the  towm  Ardashab  on  the  left 
border  of  Arax  (189).  An  Armenian  narrative  tells 
us  the  great  Carthagenian  general,  Hannibal,  stayed 
for  some  time  in  the  palace  of  this  king. 

The  Kingdom  of  Arsacid  Dynasty, 

The  Parthians,  availing  themselves  of  the  growing 
weakness  of  the  Seleucidae  and  of  the  Bactrians'  civil 
struggles,  began  to  extend  their  territory ;  and  they 
soon  founded  an  extensive  empire. 

Mithridates  I,  the  great  king  of  the  Parthians, 
established  his  brother  Valarsases  in  Armenia,  who 
became  the  founder  of  the  Arsacid  kingdom  (149). 

Instead  of  giving  the  history  of  this  strong  dynasty 
in  chronological  order  and  detail,  we  will  take  up  the 
following  important  events  of  the  epoch. 

(1).    The  re-organization  of  the  government. 

(2).  The  wars  of  Tigranes  II  and  Mithridates 
against  the  Romans. 


ARMENIA.  143 

(3).  The  political  revolution  in  Persia  and  its 
consequences  in  Armenia. 

(4).  Christianity  as  the  national  religion  of  the 
Armenians. 

(5).   The  golden  age  of  Armenian  literature. 

I,    The  Re-organization  of  the  Government, 

The  physical  features  of  Armenia  favored  the 
division  of  the  country  into  separate  and  isolated 
regions.  Armenian  princes,  each  in  his  own  district, 
enjoyed  a  sort  of  independence. 

Yalarsases,  the  first  Arsacid  king,  regarded  this 
order  of  things — the  strength  of  Armenian  nobles 
and  weakness  of  kingly  power — very  dangerous  to 
central  power.  His  first  thought  was  to  destroy  it ; 
but  considering  that  this  order  had  been,  from  time 
immemorial,  established  in  the  section,  he  resolved 
to  reach  his  end  by  indirect  means.  He  gave  the 
grandees  high  honors  and  offices — duties  which  they 
were  to  discharge  at  his  court  with  the  view  of 
strengthening  the   political  union  of  the  country. 

This  same  policy  was  pursued  by  his  son  and 
successor  Arkac  I. 

The  misfortune  was,  that  before  the  new  order  was 
placed  on  a  firm  foundation,  the  ambitious  kings  be- 
gan to  extend  their  kingdoms  at  the  expense  of  the 
surrounding  powers.  It  is  true  that  the  conquests 
of  Ardashes  I,  and  Tigranes  II  form  a  glorious  page 
in  Armenian  history ;  but  since  the  centralization  of 


144  ARMENIA. 

power — a  step  taken  by  their  immediate  predecessors 
— was  not  completed,  the  next  kings  were  unable  to 
keep  under  their  submission  the  new  possessions. 

11.    The  Wars  of  Tigranes  II  and  Mithridates 
Against  the  Romans, 

Tigranes  II  was  the  son  of  Ardashes  I.  He 
marched  against,  and  defeated  the  Greeks  who  had 
revolted,  having  heard  of  the  death  of  his  father. 
Availing  himself  of  the  civil  war  of  the  Seleucidae, 
he  added  Syria  to  his  empire  (85-63),  and  subdued 
Phoenicia  and  Palestine.  Now  he  was  at  the  height 
of  his  power  and  he  was  named  king  of  kings. 
Plutarch  says  that  four  dethroned  kings  served  him. 

Mithridates,  the  king  of  Pontus,  after  subduing 
Cappadocia  and  Bithynia  with  the  assistance  of  Ti- 
granes I,  his  ally,  invaded  Greece,  which  was  sub- 
dued. Rome  sent  Sylla  against  the  invader  and 
the  Roman  general  defeated  Mithridates  who  was 
obliged  to  give  back  the  possessions  he  had  taken 
(88-86). 

In  the  second  war  (75)  Mithridates  was  defeated 
by  Lucullus ;  he  fled  to  Armenia ;  and  the  Roman 
general  sent  ambassadors  to  the  Armenian  king  to 
hand  over  the  defeated  king.  Lucullus,  on  the 
refusal  of  what  he  had  proposed,  marched  against 
the  Armenians  and  besieged  Digranakerd,  in  which 
the  king's  treasure  was  ke^tA  Tigranes  hastened  to 
meet  the  enemy;  but  the  proud   king  seeing  the 


ARMENIA.  145 

small  force  of  the  Romans,  did  not  make  ample  prep- 
aration to  take  the  field.  The  Roman  general,  by  a 
sudden  attack,  put  the  Armenians  in  disorder ;  the 
town  was  taken  by  the  treacherous  conduct  of  the 
Greeks,  and  afterwards  the  victorious  general  marched 
upon  Artashab,  another  rich  town  defended  by  Tigra- 
nes  himself  A  sanguinary  fight  took  place ;  both 
sides  suffered  great  losses  and  at  last  Lucullus  retired 
to  Mesopotamia.  At  this  time  Mithridates  and  Ti- 
granes  began  to  recover  their  former  possessions. 
The  soldiers  of  Lucullus  soon  revolted  against  him, 
having  refused  to  go  upon  the  field  of  battle. 

Rome  hearing  of  this  reverse,  sent  the  famous 
general  Fompey,  who  defeated  the  army  of  Mithri- 
dates ;  and  the  king  of  Pontus  took  refuge  in  the 
mountains  of  Caucasus,  where  he  gathered  a  vast 
army  with  the  purpose  of  invading  Italy  as  a  new 
Hannibal ;  but  he  was  betrayed  by  his  son,  Parnases. 
The  great  king  died  by  self-administered  poison,  in 
order  not  to  fall  alive  into  the  hands  of  his  enemy 
(64).  Pompey,  after  his  glorious  victory,  hastened 
to  enter  into  Armenia;  and  the  son  of  Tigranes, 
ha\dng._revolted  against  his  father,  united  with  the 
Romans,  leading  them  into  his  fatherland.  The 
king  finding  himself  surrounded  on  every  side  by 
enemies  concluded  a  peace  with  Pompey.  The 
Romans  took  possession  of  Galatia,  Cappadocia, 
Cilicia,^  Syria  and  Phoenicia.  Some  provinces  of 
lesser  Armenia  were  formed  into  small  States  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Romans  (64). 
10 


146  ARMENIA. 

The  policy  of  the  Roman  emperors  was  to  have 
the  Armenians  as  their  allies,  whose  kingdom  they 
regarded  as  a  strong  barrier  on  the  eastern  frontier 
of  the  empire  against  the  attacks  of  the  Parthians  and 
other  people.  Unfortunately,  Theodosius  the  Great, 
agreed  with  the  Persians  to  divide  Armenia  among 
themselves  (390  A.  D.).  This  was  a  short-siglited 
policy ;  and  it  was  after  the  partition  of  Armenia 
that  the  Seljac  Turks  invaded  the  Byzantine  empire. 

Ill,     Political  Revolution  in  Persia  and  its 
Consequences  in  Armenia, 

The  Parthian  dynasty  of  the  Persian  kingdom 
gave  rise  to  many  internal  difficulties;  and  the 
Persians  began  to  think  of  re-establishing  the  old 
Persian  empire.  The  Sassanid  Ardashir,  a  Persian 
prince,  revolted  against  Ardaran,  the  Persian  king 
of  the  Parthian  dynasty ;  Ardashir  defeated  the  Par- 
thians in  three  wars ;  and  Ardaran  was  slain.  A 
new  dynasty  called  Sassanid  was  founded  (226). 

This  change  of  dynasty  was  menacing  Armenia, 
where  the  kings  were  of  the  Parth  ian  dynasty.  K  hos- 
rone  I,  the  Armenian  king,  marched  against  the 
usurper  and  defeated  him,  according  to  some  histo- 
rians, with  the  assistance  of  Alexander  Severus. 

Anak,  a  Parthian  prince,  being  bribed  by  Ardashir, 
came  to  Armenia,  where  one  day  he  assassinated  the 
Armenian  king,  when  he  was  out  hunting  (261). 


ARMENIA.  147 

After  the  tragical  death  of  Khosrone,  Ardashir 
invaded  Armenia ;  the  princes  were  defeated ;  and 
the  Roman  emperor  refused  to  help  the  Armenians, 
his  allies,  as  he  was  busy  in  another  part  of  the 
empire.  Armenia  was  reduced  to  a  Persian  satrapy 
(261-287),  with  the  consent  of  Prohus,  the  Roman 
emperor. 

The  Persian  dominion  did  not  last  very  long. 
Dertad,  the  son  of  Khosrone,  saved  by  an  Armenian 
prince  from  the  general  slaughter  ordered  by  Arda- 
shir, of  the  royal  family,  was  sent  by  Rome  to  Ar- 
menia to  take  possession  of  his  inheritance;  and  the 
Persians  were  defeated. 

IV,    Christianity  as  the  National  Religion 
of  the  Armenians. 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  Dertad  that  the  Arme- 
nians embraced  Christianity  through  the  guidance 
and  self-denial  of  St.  Gregory  the  Illuminator  (301). 

St.  Gregory  was  born  in  the  year  257.  His  father 
was  Anak  the  regicide.  He  was  brought  up  in 
Caesarea  under  Christian  influence,  and  from  early 
manhood  his  influence  was  felt. 

When  the  Armenian  king  came  to  Armenia  he 
ordered  St.  Gregory  to  give  presents  to  the  goddess. 
St.  Gregory  refused  to  do  so ;  he  suffered  a  painful  ex- 
perience, and  afterwards  he  was  cast  into  the  gloomy 
dungeon  of  Artashad  (287).  After  fourteen  years  of 
confinement  St.  Gregory  was  released ;  he  quieted  the 


148  ARMENIA. 

troubled  conscience  of  the  king,  who  had  ordered 
cruel  persecution  against  the  Christians;  he  preached 
Christianity ;  the  whole  nation  together  with  the 
king  embraced  the  new  religion  (301) ;  heathen 
idols  were  destroyed ;  the  cathedral  of  Etehimadjui 
was  built;  and  St.  Gregory  proceeded  to  Caesarea 
where  he  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Armenia  (302). 

St.  Gregory  was  the  second  illuminator  after  St. 
Thaddeus  and  St.  Bartholomew,  who  had  been, 
according  to  the  Armenian  historian  of  the  fifth 
century,  the  first  preachers  of  Christianity  in  Ar- 
menia. There  were  many  Armenians  inclined  to 
Christianity ;  but  most  of  them  did  not  dare  to  con- 
fess their  faith  publicly.     St.  Gregory  died  in  332. 

Persian  revolution  and  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity were  two  remarkable  events  of  this  epoch, 
which  led  to  considerable  results.  The  Persian 
Sassanid  kings  were  relentless  enemies  of  the  Ar- 
menian Arsauid  kings ;  and  Christianity  brought 
against  the  Armenians  the  enmity  of  the  surrounding 
heathen  nations.  From  this  time  to  the  present, 
the  history  of  Armenia  has  been  a  record  of  martyr- 
dom and  bloodshed  ! 

V.    The  Golden  Age  of  Armenian  Literature, 

The  reign  of  the  king,  Veransabouh,  was  remark- 
able especially  for  the  literary  activity  of  the  court. 
The  king,  the  Catholicos,  St.  Sahak  and  St.  Mesrop, 
in  perfect  harmony,  produced  excellent  works. 


ARMENIA.  149 

St.  Mesrop  was  born  in  a  village  of  Daron  (a 
province  in  Armenia) ;  he  knew  the  Greek,  the 
Syrian  and  the  Persian  languages,  and  was  a  de- 
voted and  earnest  preacher.  At  that  time  the 
Bible  and  prayer-book  were  read  in  Greek  and 
Syriac.  The  mass  of  the  people  did  not  understand 
either  of  these  languages.  St.  Mesrop  thought  of 
translating  the  holy  Bible  into  the  Armenian  lan- 
guage ;  but  the  Armenians  had  laid  aside  their 
ancient  characters  as  impracticable ;  and  after  many 
difficulties  St.  Mesrop  invented  or  completed  the 
list  of  Armenian  characters  (406). 

This  invention  opened  a  new  epoch  in  the  annals 
of  the  nation.  With  it  began  national  education 
and  literature — two  elements,  by  means  of  which 
the  Armenians  were  able  to  preserve  their  existence 
as  a  nation. 

St.  Sahak  and  St.  Mesrop  opened  many  schools ; 
the  most  renowned  among  them  was  that  of  Yaghar- 
shabad  in  which  the  disciples  of  St.  Sahak  and  St. 
Mesrop  were  educated.  Among  these  were  Housep 
and  Gheoup — two  champions  of  Christianity  in  the 
Persian  persecutions — Zeznig  of  Goght,  Goriun, 
Housep  and  others.  These  were  called  first  dis- 
ciples or  translators ;  and  Moses  of  Khorene,  David 
the  philosopher,  Yeghishe,  and  many  others  were 
named  second  disciples  or  translators. 

St.  Sahak  and  St.  Mesrop,  with  their  disciples, 
translated  ecclesiastical  books  from  the  Greek  and 
Syriac;  and  the  excellent  version  of  the  Holy  Bible — 


150  A.RMENIA. 

a  version  which  has  been  called  the  queen  of  versions 
by  Europeans — took  place  at  this  time  (411).  Zez- 
nig  of  Goght  wrote  most  eloquently,  in  four  books, 
against  the  Persian  fire-worshippers,  the  Greek 
philosophers,  and  the  Marcion  heresy ;  Goriun 
was  the  biographer  of  St.  Mesrop;  David,  the 
philosopher,  translated  among  others,  Aristotle; 
Zeghishe  related  the  heroic  struggle  of  Vartan 
for  the  Christian  faith  against  the  Persians;  and 
Toroastian,  Lazarus  and  Moses  of  Khorene  wrote 
their  histories. 

Early  in  the  fourth  century  many  Armenian.young 
men  went  to  Greece  to  study.  It  was  fo  one  of  these 
that  the  Romans  erected  a  statue  with  the  following 
inscription  :  "  Regina  rerum  Roma,  regi  eloquentiae." 
These  pioneers  had  their  followers. 

St.  Sahak  and  St.  Mesrop,  choosing  forty  promis- 
ing young  men  of  their  disciples,  sent  some  of  them  to 
Alexandria,  some  to  Athens  and  Byzanc  to  pursue 
their  studies  and  better  prepare  themselves  to  spread 
the  light  of  the  West  in  their  country. 

When  these  disciples  came  back  to  Armenia  their 
teachers  were  dead  (440) ;  and  Armenia  was  in  great 
distress,  as  we  shall  see  below. 

We  have  already  made  an  allusion  to  the  Greco- 
Persian  agreement  in  regard  to  the  partition  of  Ar- 
menia (390).  The  Persians  appointed  for  their  part  of 
Armenia  an  Armenian  tributary  king.  These  kings 
were  not  very  powerful,  the  last  of  them  being  the  son 
of  Yeransabouh  (400-421).    Ardashir,  the  name  of 


ARMENIA.  161 

the  young  king,  was  hated  by  the  Armenian  grandees 
for  his  vices.  Despite  the  advices  of  Sahak  (Catho- 
licos)  the  king  continued  to  live  an  infamous  life; 
at  last  the  Persian  king,  availing  himself  of  the 
bitter  complaints  of  the  grandees  against  the  king, 
dethroned  him  (432),  and  sent,  instead,  a  Persian 
governor  to  Armenia. 

Armenia  was  now  reduced  to  a  Persian  province. 

Persian  Dominion  (433-640). 

This  period  was  remarkable  for  the  first  religious 
war  fought  in  defence  of  Christianity.  To  under- 
stand well  the  cruel  persecution  of  the  Persians,  it 
is  necessary  to  keep  in  mind  the  following  facts. 

The  alliance  of  the  Armenians  was  solicited  both 
by  Greeks  and  Persians ;  and  when  the  Armenians 
embraced  Christianity,  they  were  more  inclined  to 
unite  with  the  Greeks,  their  co-religionists,  than  with 
the  Persians.  Bigoted  Zoroastrians  began  to  devise 
some  effective  means  of  rooting  out  Christianity — 
only  the  tie  which  united  the  two  nations. 

The  period  was  favorable  for  the  Persians  to  carry 
their  purpose  into  effect.  First,  because  they  had 
recently  defeated  the  Greeks,  who  could  not  therefore 
help  the  Armenians  in  their  distress.  In  the  second 
place,  the  Huns  had  gone  forth  from  their  country 
to  invade  Europe;  and  they  could  not  come  to  the 
assistance  of  the  Armenians,  who  were  usually  their 
allies.    The  two  neighboring  people — the  Virginians 


152  ARMENIA. 

and  the  Albanians — could  not  be  relied  upon  to 
help  the  Armenians. 

The  Persians  began  to  act.  Yazkerd  II  sent  an 
order  to  Armenia,  inviting  the  Armenian  nobles  to 
go  to  the  Persian  capital  as  he  intended  to  wage  war 
upon  the  Huns.  He  did  everything  to  allure  them 
to  embrace  fire-worship ;  they  did  not,  however,  obey 
his  order.  At  this  time  a  Persian  prince  was  sent 
to  Armenia  to  oppress  the  people,  to  sow  discord  in 
the  nation,  to  put  heavy  taxes  upon  the  Churches 
and  to  introduce  other  persecutions ;  but  all  in  vain. 
They  were  steadfast  in  their  faith. 

The  first  minister  of  the  king,  whose  name  was 
Mihrnerseh,  sent  a  letter  to  the  Armenian  notables, 
who  were  invited  to  renounce  their  religion. 

Joseph,  the  Catholicos,  together  with  Bishops, 
priests  and  nobles,  held  a  meeting  at  Artashad, 
where  it  was  resolved  to  write  an  answer  in  defence 
of  their  religion.  Tlie  reply  was  ended  with  the 
following  words  :  "  This  is  our  holy  creed  to  which 
we  all,  young  and  old,  cling  with  the  love  of  our 
hearts  and  for  which  we  are  ready  to  sacrifice  even 
our  lives." 

The  Armenians  knew  that  the  Persian  despot 
was  angered  at  this  response,  and  would  try  every 
means  to  execute  his  fixed  purpose ;  therefore,  they 
held  another  meeting,  and  it  was  decided  to  send 
a  deputy  to  the  Greek  emperor,  seeking  help.  The 
Greeks   not   only  refused    to   help   them,  but,  on 


ARMENIA. 


153 


the  contrary,  they  assured   the  Persians  of  their 
neutrality. 

An  Albanian  deputy  coming  to  Armenia  implored 
assistance  against  the  Persians, who  had  invaded  their 
country,  destroyed  many  churches  and  established 
altars  of  fire-worship.  The  Armenians,  unassisted  as 
they  were,  still  sent  a  troop.  Vartan  of  Manikos, 
the  leader  of  the  troop,  defeated  the  Persians  near 
the  river  Cyrus ;  the  Albanians  who  had  taken  refuge 
in  the  mountains  united  with  the  Armenians ;  the 
defile  of  Albanae  was  destroyed ;  and  they  made  an 
alliance  with  the  Huns  to  help  them  (450). 

Some  ambitious  nobles  embraced  the  Persian  creed, 
the  most  influential  among  these  apostates  being 
Vasak,  the  prince  of  Sounik.  He  imprisoned  all 
those  who  resisted  his  efforts  and  destroyed  many 
churches. 

When  Vartan  came  back  from  Caucasus,  Vasak 
retired  to  his  province.  In  the  spring,  Mihrnerseh, 
the  Persian  general,  marched  with  a  vast  army 
against  the  Armenians ;  and  he  dispatched  a  troop 
to  Caucasus  to  defend  the  defile  against  the  Huns. 

A  feeling  of  desperate  courage  filled  the  souls  of 
the  Armenians  who  flocked  from  different  parts  of 
the  country  to  Avarair  to  defend  Christianity.  The* 
Catholicos,  with  many  Bishops  and  Priests,  visited  the 
camp,  speaking  encouraging  words  to  the  soldiers. 
After  a  pathetic  and  effecting  sermon  delivered  by 
a  pious  and  learned  Priest,  St.  Gherout,  Vartan 
addressed  the  army;  holy  communion  was  celebrated 


154  AEMENIA. 

in  the  camp,  and  the  whole  army  knelt  in  prayer  to 
God. 

The  Persians  pitched  their  carap  against  the 
Armenians ;  the  signal  for  fighting  was  given  ;  both 
sides  fought  furiously ;  and  for  many  hours  the 
victory  was  in  the  balance.  At  last  Vartan,  the 
great  champion  of  Christianity,  was  slain.  The 
Armenians  hearing  of  the  death  of  their  general, 
still  fought  with  desperate  courage.  At  night-fall 
they  took  refuge  in  fortresses  and  mountains,  con- 
tinuing the  fight.  From  their  hiding  places  they 
attacked  the  Persians,  losing  1036  persons  in  the 
battle ;  and  the  Persians  sufiPered  a  great  loss.  The 
Huns,  provoked  by  the  Armenians,  invaded  the 
Persian  empire  in  the  year  451. 

The  Kingj  hearing  of  these  reverses,  sent  a  Persian 
prince  to  Armenia  to  proclaim  liberty  of  conscience 
and  to  establish  peace.  Vasak  was  sentenced  to 
imprisonment. 

This  was  the  first  battle  fought  for  the  liberty  of 
conscience ;  but  alas  !  it  was  not  the  last. 

The  Persians  had  not  given  up  their  purpose  of 
destroying  Christianity  in  Armenia.  They  changed 
their  modus  operandi.  Apostatasy  from  Christianity 
was  encouraged  by  offering  special  inducements  to 
men  of  influence  among  the  Armenians ;  and  severe 
punishments  were  inflicted  upon  many  innocent,  but 
earnest  Christian  persons.  By  and  by  a  spirit  of 
discontentment  and  indignation  manifested  itself  in 
the  nation.     At  last  Yahan,  the  nephew  of  Vartan 


AEMENIA.  155 

of  Manikon,  persuaded  many  princes  to  fight  against 
the  Persians,  who  were  encroaching  on  their  rights. 
Vahan  was  a  brave,  fearless,  patriotic  prince,  brought 
up  under  the  influence  of  his  Christian  mother. 

The  union  of  Armenians  for  the  defence  of  Cliris- 
tianity  was  made  known  to  the  Persians.  Apostate 
princes  ran  away  for  their  lives  ;  the  Persian  Satrap 
hastened  to  Aterbadagan,  thence  he  marched  against 
the  Armenians,  who  defeated  the  enemy  at  Agory 
(481) ;  and  they  defeated  a  still  greater  army  at  Ner- 
sehabad.  Several  Persian  generals  were  sent  by  the 
king  one  after  another  to  Armenia  to  put  an  end  to 
this  rebellion,  but  each  one  failed  in  his  efforts  to 
crush  Yahan  ;  and  at  length,  Vagharch,  the  brother 
of  Beroz,  sent  an  ambassador,  whose  name  was 
Nighor,  to  know  what  the  insurgents  wanted,  and 
satisfy  them.  We  will  not  stop  to  relate  the  for- 
malities during  the  time  of  making  peace.  The 
three  conditions  proposed  by  Yahan  were  as  fol- 
lows : 

(1).    To  give'  liberty  of  conscience. 

(2).  Not  to  encourage  the  wicked  and  apostates 
by  giving  them  honor  and  rank. 

(3).  Not  to  condemn  any  person  simply  because 
he  is  accused  ;  to  hear  both  sides  and  then  to  release 
or  condemn  the  accused  one. 

These  conditions  received  the  approval  of  the  king, 
who  signed  the  treaty  of  Nanarssak  (484). 

After  some  years  Yahan  was  appointed  by  the 
king  as  governor  of  Armenia  (485-510). 


156  ARMENIA. 

Garat,  the  successor  of  Yagharch,  renewed  the 
persecutions  while  Yahau  was  still  living.  He,  in 
his  old  age,  took  arms,  marched  against  the  Persians, 
cleared  his  fatherland  from  those  who  had  come  to 
instruct  the  Armenians  in  fire-worship,  and  destroyed 
their  altars.  Garat,  hearing  that  the  Greek  emperor 
had  declared  war  against  him  and  had  already  in- 
vaded Mesopotamia,  marched  to  meet  the  enemy. 
Yahan  died  (510)  and  the  Armenians  mourned  their 
beloved  and  brave  prince. 

It  takes  much  time  to  describe  the  valiant  resist- 
ance of  Armenians  against  their  persecutors.  Ar- 
menians suffered  great  loss  during  the  Greco-Persian 
wars,  because  Armenia,  on  account  of  their  location, 
was  the  battle-field  of  the  two  nations.  These 
troubles  continued  until  the  downfall  of  the  Persian 
kingdom  by  the  Arabs  (640). 

Arabian  Dominion  of  Armenia  (649-885). 

All  tribes  of  the  Arabian  peninsula  were  fused 
into  one  nation  in  the  religious  and  political  agitation 
of  the  seventh  century.  They  began  to  conjure 
other  peoples.  Syria,  Palestine,  Egypt,  Persia  were 
subdued.  No  sooner  had  the  Armenians  submitted 
to  the  Arabs,  than  the  Greeks  invaded  their  country 
and  the  Armenians  came  under  Greek  power.  Arabs 
invaded  Armenia  again  ;  plundered,  destroyed,  set 
fire  to  many  villages,  and  carried  off  numerous 
prisoners.     Neither    Greeks    nor    Arabs    protected 


ARMENIA.  157 

Armenians,  who  were  left  to  their  fate.  What 
could  they  do  ?  They  were  not  strong  enough  to 
resist  the  combination  of  these  powers. 

After  many  vicissitudes,  the  Armenians  remained 
under  Arabian  power.  Arabian  Caliphs  sent  gover- 
nors to  impose  taxes ;  these  governors  oppressed  the 
people ;  and  now  and  then  Armenian  princes  attacked 
Arabs.  To  put  an  end  to  these  agitations  in  the 
nation,  Gashus,  one  of  the  governors,  burned  the 
flower  of  the  nobility  in  the  Church  of  Naghitcheran, 
whom  he  had  gathered  by  fraud,  as  if  to  communi- 
cate to  them  an  order  of  the  Caliph  (719). 

After  the  overthrow  of  the  Omnizod  dynasty, 
Baghdad  was  the  capital  of  the  new  dynasty,  Ahacid, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  at  this  time  the  Arabian 
empire  was  at  the  culminating  point  of  its  power. 
Some  of  the  Armenian  princes  attempted  to  free  them- 
selves from  the  Arabs.  Two  Persian  princes,  together 
with  Armenian  princes,  revolted  twice;  but  they  did 
not  succeed.  The  Caliph  sent  to  Armenia  a  new 
governor,  Abousset,  who  taking  by  fraud  the  prince 
Pagarod  of  the  Pagratied  family,  sent  him  in  chains 
to  the  Caliph.  The  inhabitants  of  Sassouu  enraged 
by  this  event,  attacked  the  governor,  killed  him  and 
dispersed  his  soldiers  (849).  The  Caliph  sent  another 
governor  with  the  charge  of  punishing  severely  the 
agitators.  Baugha,  the  governor,  plundered  and 
destroyed  villages  and  towns,  and  committed  the 
most  atrocious  acts.  He  put  in  chains  many  notables 
and  sent  them  to  Baghdad,  where  the  alternative  of 


158  ARMENIA. 

the  sword  or  Islam  was  offered  them.     Many  died 
in  dun2:eons  for  Christ's  sake. 


Kingdom  of  Pagratidae  (885-1045). 

From  the  fact  that  the  Armenian  princes,  for  two 
centuries,  revolted  against  the  Arabian  empire,  we 
may  fairly  infer  that  there  was,  in  spite  of  crushing 
reverses,  a  moral  power  in  the  nation  ;  a  power, 
which  under  favorable  circumstances,  could  secure 
an  independent  political  life. 

In  the  9th  century  the  Arabian  empire  grew 
weak  in  consequence  of  intestine  struggles.  Pagratid 
princes,  availing  themselves  of  this  state  of  affairs, 
founded  a  kingdom.  There  w^as  another  fact  favor- 
able to  the  establishment  of  the  new  kingdom. 
Armenian  princes,  such  as  Morig,  Leon  and  Vasil, 
sat  upon  the  throne  of  the  Byzantine  empire. 

The  founder  of  the  new  kingdom  was  Ashod,  the 
son  of  Souhad  the  Confessor.  He  was  a  patriotic 
and  wise  prince,  who  had  won  the  confidence  of  the 
Caliph.  The  coronation  took  place  with  great  pomp 
in  the  Cathedral  of  Any  (885). 

The  princes  of  Sounik  and  Arzrounik,  his  sons- 
in-law,  were  the  supporters  of  the  new  kingdom. 

Vasil,  the  Greek  emperor,  sent  deputies  to  con- 
gratulate the  king  on  his  coronation,  and  the  king 
established  the  custom  and  laws  of  the  former  king- 
dom. Agriculture,  education  and  the  arts  began  to 
be  in  flourishing  condition.  Villages  and  towns 
which  had  been  destroyed  were  soon  rebuilt.     He 


ARMENIA.  159 

broiiglit  the  whole  country  under  his  power,  and  the 
two  princes  who  had  revolted  were  subdued  quickly. 
When  he  was  sure  of  the  tranquillity  of  his  kingdom, 
he  journeyed  to  the  West  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  emperor 
at  Constantinople,  where  a  cordial  reception  awaited 
him.  The  emperor  and  the  king  signed  a  political 
and  commercial  treaty.  On  his  way  home  he  fell 
ill  and  died  in  the  Province  of  Shirak.  His  death 
was  greatly  mourned  by  the  nation. 

Although  the  kingdom  had  been  founded  by  the 
consent  of  the  Caliph,  the  rapid  increase  and  grandeur 
of  the  kingdom  did  not  please  the  Caliphs.  As  they 
were  especially  suspicious  of  the  treaty  between  the 
Greeks  and  Armenians,  they  decided  to  keep  the 
kingdom  divided  by  sowing  the  seeds  of  discord  in 
the  nation.  This  was  not  the  first  time  that  foreign 
princes  tried  to  destroy  the  union  of  the  Armenian 
princes.  Unfortunately,  the  spirit  of  jealousy  and 
selfishness  had  been  carefully  cultivated  among  the 
Armenian  princes  respectively  by  Eomans,  Persians 
and  Greeks,  with  the  express  purpose  of  weakening 
the  king  and  afterwards  of  taking  possession  of  the 
land.  The  Arabs  pursued  with  vigor  this  same 
policy;  and  it  was  with  their  assistance  that  the  small 
kingdom  of  Arzsourick  (908)  and  Gars  (968)  and 
some  principalities  were  founded.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances the  kings  could  not  be  very  strong. 

Subud,  the  son  of  A  shod  I,  abandoned  by  the 
nobles  and  taken  prisoner  by  a  military  agent  of 
the  Caliph,  was  killed  in  the  year  914. 


160  ARMENIA. 

Some  of  the  Pagratid  kings,  such  as  Abos, 
Sunbod  II,  and  the  like,  were  very  good  and 
able  kings.  They  encouraged  agriculture,  indus- 
try and  learning,  and  did  much  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  people. 

Any,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  became  the  most 
famous  and  flourishing  town  in  the  country. 

Horhannes  Suhav,  the  fifth  king,  was  an  inactive, 
timid  prince.  We  will  not  describe  his  quarrels 
with  his  brother  who  came  near  usurping  the  kingly 
throne,  and  with  the  king  of  the  Virginians,  who 
attempted  to  take  him  prisoner. 

Daughril  Beg,  the  chief  of  the  Turks,  invaded 
the  Province  of  Yasperagan,  where  the  king  of  the 
District  Senekerin  was  defeated  and  the  Turks  ad- 
vanced as  far  as  the  country  of  Hou-Subod. 

This  devastating  people  invaded  Persia,  sub- 
dued the  whole  country  and  re-established  the  Per- 
sian Kingdom — a  new  menace  to  the  divided  and 
weakened  Armenia. 

Hou-Subod  took  a  step  which  hastened  the  down- 
fall of  the  kingdom.  The  Greek  emperor,  Vasil  II, 
having  put  down  a  rebellion  in  Virginia,  marched 
against  the  Armenian  king,  who  had  helped  the 
Virginians.  The  cowardly  king  immediately  sent 
a  letter  to  the  emperor  in  which  he  promised  to 
deliver  to  him  the  City  of  Any,  if  he  would  cease 
to  disturb  him,  which  concession  was  a  great  success 
for  the  invader,  who  willingly  returned  to  Constan- 
tinople. 


ARMENIA.  161 

After  the  death  of  Hou-Subod  great  troubles 
began.  The  Greek  emperor  demanded  the  town 
Any,  according  to  the  promise  of  the  deceased  king. 
At  this  time,  the  Armenians  were  divided  into  two 
parties.  The  chief  of  one  party  was  the  regent  of 
the  State,  whom  his  partisans  endeavored  to  name 
king ;  the  second  party,  the  chief  of  which  was  Sar- 
kis,  whom  his  followers  endeavored,  also,  to  name 
king ;  but  the  Armenian  general,  Vahran,  protected 
the  right  of  the  lawful  heir.  These  two  parties,  how- 
ever, united  in  refusing  the  unjust  demand  of  the 
emperor.  Armies  were  sent  to  Armenia ;  and  the 
king  of  the  Albanians,  at  the  instigation  of  the 
Greeks,  invaded  parts  of  Armenia.  Notwithstanding 
all  these  difficulties  the  Armenians  were  not  subdued. 
For  the  fourth  time  an  army,  100,000  strong,  was 
sent  to  besiege  the  Armenian  capital ;  and  Vahran, 
the  brave  and  patriotic  general,  at  the  head  of  50,000 
soldiers,  attacked  the  Greeks,  who,  becoming  fright- 
ened at  this  unexpected  rebuff,  fled  from  the  battle- 
field, leaving  many  wounded  and  slain  soldiers. 

The  victorious  general  immediately  summoned  the 
Catholicos  and  nobles,  and  holding  a  meeting  with 
the  consent  of  the  assembly,  Kakig,  the  nephew  of 
the  late  king,  was  named  King  (1042). 

The  new  king  hearing  of  the  treacherous  conduct 
of  Sarkis,  imprisoned  him  in  Any.  Afterwards  he 
marched  against  the  Turks,  who  had  desolated  parts 
of  the  country.  He  gained  the  victory;  but  the 
tranquillity  of  the  country  was  of  short  duration ; 
11 


162  ARMENIA. 

for  Constantine,  the  Greek  emperor,  provoked  by 
Sarkis,  whom  the  king  had  released  again,  demanded 
the  capital.  On  the  refusal  of  the  demand  the  em- 
peror sent  a  large  army  against  Kakig ;  and  in  the 
meanwhile  he  instigated  the  Mohammedan  prince  of 
Devin  to  push  forward  his  troops.  Kakig  II,  with 
the  purpose  of  ever  dividing  his  force,  found  the 
means  of  satisfying  his  provoked  neighbor,  and  then 
he  marched  to  meet  the  invading  enemy,  whom  he 
defeated.  The  Greeks  for  two  years  did  not  repeat 
their  conduct. 

The  Greek  emperor  now  undertook  to  execute  by 
fraud,  what  he  failed  to  do  by  force.  He  wrote  a 
letter  to  Kakig,  assuring  him  of  his  friendly  feel- 
ings and  of  his  wish  to  make  peace  with  him,  clos- 
ing with  an  invitation  for  him  to  come  to  Constan- 
tinople for  personal  consultation.  The  Armenian 
king  at  first  suspected  a  fraud  and  hesitated  before 
accepting;  but  at  last,  feeling  assured  of  the  em- 
peror's sincerity,  and  taking  the  oath  of  Sarkis  and 
other  princes  that  they  would  protect  the  State  in 
case  of  attack,  and  disregarding  the  warning  of 
Yahran,  the  old  general,  he  went  to  the  capital  of 
the  Byzantine  empire. 

At  first,  the  emperor  received  him  with  great 
honor;  but  after  a  little  while  he  demanded  the 
town,  and  when  the  king  refused,  he  was  exiled  to 
an  Island.  Sarkis  hearing  what  had  happened  at 
Constantinople,  persuaded  the  other  princes  and 
Catholicos  to  send  the  forty  keys  of  the  capital  to 


ARMENIA.  163 

the  emperor;  and  thereupon  the  king,  seeing  the 
treacherous  conduct  of  the  grandees  and  well  aware 
of  the  emperor's  resolution  not  to  allow  him  to  go 
to  Armenia,  abdicated  his  throne.  He  was  sent  to 
Cappadocia  to  live  in  exile  (1045). 

The  emperor  sent  an  army  to  take  possession  of 
the  town,  but  the  inhabitants  took  arms  to  defend 
it,  and  defeated  the  Greek  general ;  and  when  the 
people  heard  that  their  beloved  king  was  banished, 
they  became  discouraged,  the  traitors  carried  the 
day,  and  the  Greek  general  came  back  and  took  Any 
without  resistance.  Thus  Armenia  was  reduced  to 
a  Grecian  Province. 

The  Greeks  committed  great  cruelties  ;  dispersed 
the  Armenian  soldiers ;  persecuted  the  grandees  ; 
decimated  the  nobility  either  by  sword  or  poison  ; 
and  the  Catholicos  were  sent  to  Constantinople  in 
exile. 

The  chief  of  the  Turks,  learning  the  miserable 
condition  of  Armenia,  sent  an  army  that  phindered, 
destroyed  and  burned  the  towns  and  villages -for 
seven  years;  and  men,  women  and  children  were 
slaughtered  in  the  most  barbarous  manner. 

The  Greeks,  who  were  not  masters  of  Armenia, 
regarded  for  a  long  time  these  atrocities  with  in- 
difference; only  once  they  undertook  to  drive  off 
the  enemy,  but  the  Turks  defeated  the  united  force 
of  Greeks,  Armenians  and  Virginians.  It  is  im- 
possible to  describe  the  massacres  and  cruelties  of 
the  Turks  at  this  time. 


164  ARMENIA. 

After  the  death  of  Doughril,  his  successor  and 
brother,  Alp  Asian,  destroyed  what  remained  in  Ar- 
menia. The  rich  and  populous  town  of  Any  was 
taken  ;  thousands  of  human  beings,  without  distinc- 
tion of  age  and  sex,  were  cruelly  slaughtered,  and 
many  corpses  were  covered  under  smoking  ruins 
(1064). 

At  last  the  Byzantine  emperors  understood  their 
error  in  policy,  but  alas !  it  was  too  late ;  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Armenian  kingdom  was  necessary  to  the 
general  interests  of  the  empire.  Armenia  was  a 
barrier  on  the  Eastern  border  of  the  empire.  History 
shows  that  before  the  kingdoms  of  Pagratidae  and 
Wasbouragan  were  founded,  the  eastern  possessions 
of  the  empire  were  uninterruptedly  attacked  by  the 
Persians  as  well  as  by  the  Arabs ;  but  so  long  as  the 
above-mentioned  kingdoms  existed,  the  Eastern 
provinces  were  in  peace. 

The  heart  of  the  banished  king  bled  every  time 
he  heard  of  the  misery,  the  devastation  of  his  father- 
land ;  and  every  day  he  heard  the  insults  of  the 
Greek.  One  day  he  slew  a  Greek  bishop  who  named 
his  dog  Armen  as  an  insult  to  Armenians. 

The  last  unfortunate  king  of  Pagratidae  suffered 
a  tragical  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Greeks  in  1079. 

Rupenian  Kingdom  (1080-1375). 

After  the  overthrow  of  the  Pagratidae  kingdom, 
many  Armenians  left  Armenia  for  distant  countries, 


ARMENIA.  165 

and  others  took  refuge  in  the  mountains  of  Taurus. 
Here  in  the  wild  mountains  the  pursued  Armenians 
worshipped  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their 
conscience,  and  some  of  the  princes  established  in- 
dependent possessions. 

Rupen,  a  relative  of  the  last  unfortunate  king, 
went  to  the  mountains  of  Taurus  and  persuaded  the 
Armenians  to  expel  the  Greeks  and  to  establish  a 
new  state.  With  the  assistance  of  other  princes  he 
formed  a  small  army  and  having  invaded  the  country 
a  new  principality  was  founded. 

Constantine  I,  his  son,  extended  his  territory,  and 
made  the  fortress  Vahga  the  seat  of  his  estate.  He, 
together  with  other  Armenian  princes,  helped  the 
Crusaders,  who  were  without  provisions  at  the  gate 
of  Antioch  (1098). 

Thorus  I,  was  a  brave,  wise  prince ;  he  extended 
his  heritage  by  adding  to  his  domains  Anazarbe  and 
Cybistra ;  and  it  was  he  who  punished  the  Greeks 
who  assassinated  Kakig  I. 

His  successor,  Leon  I,  took  from  the  Greeks, 
Manestia ;  but,  in  turn,  the  emperor  John  marched 
against  him,  who  was  taken  prisoner  with  his  two 
sons  (1136). 

Cilicia  was  united  again  with  the  empire ;  and 
the  Armenians  suffered  much  at  the  hands  of 
the  Greeks.  Some  Latin  and  Turkish  princes  at- 
tempted to  take  possession  of  Cilicia,  and  the  Greek 
emperor  was  slain  during  a  terrible  fight.  Thorus, 
who  was  in  the  Greek  army,  succeeded  in  escaping, 


166  ARMENIA. 

and  having  made  himself  known  to  the  Armenians, 
they  were  induced  to  strike  for  independence ;  and 
making  a  bold  invasion,  they  took  by  assault  the 
fortress  of  Vahga,  the  town  Anazarbe  and  other 
places. 

The  Greek  emperor  came  to  Cilicia,  but  he  was 
defeated. 

Thorus  I  helped  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  Badain 
III,  against  the  Sultan  of  Aleppo. 

The  reign  of  Thorus  was  marked  by  a  degree  of 
prosperity  and  aggressiveness ;  and  the  sultan  and 
emperor  were  glad  to  make  peace  with  him. 

The  death  of  Thorus  II  was  mourned  by  the 
people.  Thomas,  a  Latin  prince,  the  father-in-law 
of  the  deceased  king,  was  appointed  regent  of  the 
state.  Meleh,  the  brother  of  Thorus  II,  uniting 
with  Mohammedan  princes,  invaded  Cilicia,  banished 
Thomas,  and  reigned  in  his  stead.  The  policy  of 
this  prince  was  to  be  on  good  terms  with  Moham- 
medans. He  disliked  Crusaders ;  and  having  been 
slain  by  his  soldiers,  he  was  succeeded  by  Rupen  II, 
his  nephew,  a  prudent  and  peaceful  prince. 

The  state  was  at  the  height  of  its  power  during 
the  reign  of  Leon  II,  who  was  the  younger  brother 
of  Rupen.  He  was  patriotic,  brave  and  an  able 
prince ;  he  extended  his  dominions,  communicated 
with  the  West,  and  encouraged  commerce,  navigation 
and  agriculture.  Order  and  security  were  established 
within  his  country.  During  his  reign  many  schools 
and  convents  were  endowed. 


ARMENIA.  167 

The  surrounding  Mohammedan  princes  began  to 
fear  this  progressive  ruler.  First  the  Sultan  of 
Iconium  and  afterward  the  Sultan  of  Aleppo  and 
Damascus  marched  against  him,  but  he  defeated 
them  all.  To  defend  his  country  against  foreign 
attacks,  he  built  many  fortresses  on  the  frontier  of 
his  country  and  garrisoned  them. 

At  this  time,  Frederick  Barbarossa,  the  emperor 
of  Germany,  was  a  leader  of  a  new  Crusade  against 
the  Sultan  of  Egypt.  He  reached  Iconium,  where 
Leon  II  sent  him  provisions  and  assistance.  Un- 
fortunately, the  emperor  was  drowned  in  the  river 
of  Calycadmus.  His  son  and  successor  sent  Leon  a 
crown  in  recognition  of  the  services  rendered  to  his 
father.  The  ceremony  of  coronation  was  celebrated 
on  Christmas  day  (1198)  in  the  Cathedral  of  Tarse, 
in  presence  of  a  multitude  of  people.  Many  kings 
and  princes  sent  ambassadors  to  honor  Leon  II  at 
his  coronation.  Even  the  Greek  emperor,  Alexe, 
sent  him  a  fine  crown,  the  political  meaning  of 
which  was  that  he  acknowledged  the  right  of  the 
Armenians  to  possess  Cilicia.  The  king  made  Sis 
the  capital  of  his  kingdom,  and  he  coined  money 
with  his  name  stamped  on  it. 

The  Pope  of  Rome  frequently  made  overtures 
with  the  Armenians  looking  to  the  establishment 
of  their  religious  principles,  but  their  efforts  were 
of  no  avail.  The  course  of  history  proves  how 
fortunate  it  was  that  the  papal  approaches  were 
repelled. 


168  ARMENIA. 

Leon  married  the  sister  of  Cyprus,  king  of  the 
Lousigrion  family. 

Antioch's  inheritance  question  gave  rise  to  wars 
which  lasted  twelve  years  ;  but  at  last  the  king 
succeeded  in  defending  the  right  of  the  lawful  heir. 
He  suddenly  took  arms  and  defeated  the  Sultan  of 
Aleppo,  who,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Crusaders, 
threatened  Cilicia. 

Leon  II,  only  once  was  defeated  by  the  Sultan  of 
Iconium  under  the  following  circumstances. 

He  was  ill,  therefore  he  was  unable  to  lead  the 
army  in  person.  He  charged  his  generals  to  stand 
on  the  defence,  but  the  generals  encouraged  by  their 
success  acted  on  the  offensive,  and  they  were  defeated. 
Although  the  king  was  sick  he  hastened  at  the  head 
of  his  army  to  invade  and  desolate  the  Sultan's 
country ;  but  both  the  Sultan  and  the  king  soon 
proposed  peace,  and  exchanged  their  prisoners. 

Leon  II,  after  a  glorious  reign  of  thirty-four  years, 
died  in  1219.     He  was  buried  in  Sis. 

It  was  not  without  difficulty  that  Tabel,  the  king's 
only  child,  was  proclaimed  queen.  She  married 
Philip,  the  son  of  Antioch's  Latin  prince,  on  con- 
dition that  he  would  respect  the  custom  and  laws  of 
his  new  country ;  but  Philip  violated  his  agreement 
and  died  a  prisoner  of  state.  Afterwards  the  queen, 
in  compliance  with  the  national  desire,  married 
Hetoum,  the  son  of  Constantine  the  Regent. 

Hetoum  decided  to  make  peace  with  the  Moham- 
medan princes,  who  had  not  only  taken  possession 


AEMENIA..  169 

of  some  part  of  the  Armenian  Isauria,  but  also  had 
expelled  the  Latin  princes  from  Edesse,  Antioch  and 
Tripolis.  At  this  time  the  Mongols  were  advancing 
towards  Cilicia ;  and  the  Sultan  of  Iconium  met  the 
invading  enemy,  but  was  defeated.  Hetoum,  on  the 
contrary,  finding  that  the  Mongols  were  growing 
stronger  and  stronger,  endeavored  to  make  them  his 
allies;  and  for  this  purpose  he  undertook  a  long 
journey  to  see  the  great  Khan  in  his  capital  and  to 
sign  a  treaty  on  the  basis  of  mutual  help  against  the 
Mohammedan  sultans. 

A  Mohammedan  prince,  availing  himself  of  the 
king's  absence,  invaded  Cilicia  and  captured  several 
villages.  Armenians  and  Mongols  marched  against 
Melik-Nazar,  the  Sultan  of  Aleppo,  and  took  the 
town  by  assault;  but  on  account  of  the  sudden  death 
of  the  great  Khan  they  could  not  proceed  to  take 
Jerusalem ;  and  the  Mongol  general  went  back  to 
Tartaristan,  where  the  Armenian  king  was  too  weak 
to  put  an  end  to  the  difficulties  arising  out  of  the 
death  of  the  Khan.  At  this  time  an  army  of  the 
Egyptian  Sultan  invaded  Cilicia.  The  Armenians, 
under  the  leadership  of  Leon  and  Thomas,  the  sons 
of  the  king,  were  defeated,  Thomas  was  slain  and 
Leon  was  taken  prisoner.  The  enemy  laid  desolate 
the  country,  destroying  many  villages,  churches,  pal- 
aces, and  even  the  kings'  tombstones ;  and  having 
wrought  desolation,  they  went  back  to  Egypt. 

The  king,  on  his  return  to  Cilicia,  seeing  tlie  deso- 
lation of  his  country,  sent  ambassadors  to  the  Sultan 


170  ARMENIA. 

to  request  the  freedom  of  his  son  ;  peace  was  made ; 
prisoners  were  exchanged ;  and  Aleppo  was  deliv- 
ered again  to  the  Sultan. 

Hetoum,  after  one  year,  left  the  throne  in  favor 
of  his  son  Leon,  and  retired  to  a  convent,  where  he 
died  in  1270. 

The  Sultan  of  Egypt  invaded  Cilicia  again ;  the 
Armenians  suffered  great  loss;  and  the  Sultan,  en- 
couraged by  his  first  victory,  marched  upon  Arme- 
nia, but  he  was  defeated.  The  king  also  conquered 
the  Sultan  of  Iconium,  and  marched  against  the 
Egyptians  with  his  allies,  the  Tartars. 

Leon  was  a  king  who  encouraged  literary  men, 
agriculture,  and  commerce.  He  signed  commercial 
treaties  with  the  merchants  of  Genoa  and  Venice. 
Agog,  on  the  Gulf  of  Alexandretta,  was  the  most 
prosperous  town  in  the  middle  ages. 

Hetoum  II  succeeded  his  father.  At  this  time 
the  Sultan  of  Egypt  possessed  Palestine  and  Syria, 
and  wished  to  subdue  Cilicia,  the  only  remaining 
Christian  State.  The  king  was  not  an  energetic 
person ;  he  was  born  to  be  a  monk  rather  than  a 
king;  and  because  of  timidity  he  thrice  abdicated 
his  throne.  It  was  during  his  reign  that  Moham- 
medan princes  marched  against  the  Armenians. 

Unhappily  for  the  Armenians  the  new  Khan  of 
Tartary  embraced  Mohammedanism  (1302).  The 
Tartars  for  ninety  years  were  the  allies  of  the  Ar- 
menians ;  but  now  they  turned  their  swords  against 
their  former  allies,  and  together  with  the  Turks  and 


ARMENIA.  171 

others,  they  invaded  Cilicia.  The  king  succeeded 
with  great  difficulty  in  expelling  the  enemy  from  the 
country.  Finding  that  he  could  not  alone  defend  his 
kingdom  against  the  Mohammedans,  he  took  a  step 
of  fatal  consequences.  He  thought  the  time  had 
come  to  satisfy  the  court  of  Rome  by  making  some 
changes  in  the  rites  of  the  national  church,  with  the 
hope  of  finding  assistance  from  the  western  nations. 
This  policy  had  its  partisans  in  the  nation  since  the 
days  of  Leon  II. 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  Leon  IV,  the  successor 
of  Hetoum,  that  the  great  assembly  of  Sis  was  held, 
when  under  the  influence  of  the  king,  certain  changes 
in  regard  to  rites  were  adopted.  The  people  did  not 
accept  these  changes;  internal  troubles  broke  out 
with  violence;  the  people  appealed  to  the  Tartars 
for  aid,  and  Hetoum  and  the  king  were  slain. 

Oshin,  the  brother  of  Leon,  and  Leon  V,  the  son 
of  Oshin,  on  account  of  their  frequent  negotiations 
with  the  West,  irritated  the  Mohammedans,  who 
knew  very  well  that  the  Armenian  kings  endeavored 
to  induce  the  West  to  send  a  new  Crusade  to  the 
East.  The  Sultan  of  Egypt,  Melik-Nazar,  having 
overthrown  all  Christian  princes,  entered  into  an 
alliance  with  Timour-Tash,  the  general  of  the  Tar- 
tars, and  with  Araman,  the  prince  of  Tarement. 
These  three  princes  one  after  another  invaded  Cilicia. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  atrocities  committed 
by  them.  Many  young  men,  seeing  the  king  busy 
with  religious  questions  in  a  life  and  death  struggle, 


172  ARMENIA. 

formed  themselves  into  bands,  and  attacked  in  difiPer- 
ent  places  the  invaders,  who  suffered  great  loss. 
Peace  was  at  last  restored. 

The  Sultan  of  Egypt,  hearing  that  the  Europeans 
contemplated  sending  a  new  Crusade  to  the  East,  in- 
vaded Cilicia  and  did  not  leave  the  country  until  the 
king  swore  to  have  no  more  communication  with 
the  West.     He  died  without  a  son  (1341). 

After  the  death  of  Leon  V,  some  prince  of  the 
house  of  the  Lousigrion  family  sat  on  the  throne. 
Constantine  III  and  his  brother  Quidon  were  slain 
for  the  fanaticism  they  showed  in"*  religious  rites. 
Constantine  IV  was  a  clever  prince;  he  endeavored 
to  put  an  end  to  religious  disputes,  and  to  defend 
his  kingdom  against  foreign  aggressions.  He  at  one 
time  repelled  the  advances  of  the  powerful  Sultan  of 
Egypt.  He  died  without  leaving  an  heir  to  the 
crown  (1362). 

After  two  years  of  disorder,  it  was  agreed  to  name 
king  Leon  of  the  Lousigrion  family,  a  relative  of 
Peter,  the  king  of  Cyprus.  The  Sultan  of  Egypt 
invaded  Cilicia  several  times,  and  during  the  last 
Egyptian  invasions  the  king  took  refuge  in  the  strong 
fortress  of  Jaban.  The  Mamelukes,  after  ravaging, 
plundering  and  burning  many  towns,  besieged  the 
fortress;  and  the  besieged,  after  nine  months  resist- 
ance, surrendered. 

Melik-el-Eshref,  the  Egyptian  conqueror,  ordered 
the  imprisonment  of  Leon  VI,  and  utterly  over- 
threw the  Rupenian  kingdom  (1375). 


ARMENIA.  173 

When  Leon  VI,  was  released  by  the  intervention 
of  the  Castillis  king  he  went  to  Spain,  France,  and 
England  exhorting  Europeans  to  re-establish  his 
kingdom.  He  endeavored  especially  to  reconcile 
the  French  and  English  kings  in  the  hundred  years 
war.  His  endeavors  were  all  in  vain  ;  the  unfortu- 
nate king  was  disappointed ;  and  he  died  in  1393, 
November  27.  His  tombstone  stands  in  St.  Denis 
(Paris). 

Had  the  Lousigrion  kings  been  less  zealous  in 
their  endeavors  to  unite  the  Armenian  national 
church  with  the  Roman,  which  gave  rise  to  violent 
troubles ;  and  had  the  kings  endeavored  to  gain  the 
love  of  the  people  instead  of  relying  upon  the  deceit- 
ful promise  of  Popes  and  through  them  of  Euro- 
peans, a  policy  which  served  to  increase  the  hatred 
of  Mohammedans  against  Armenians,  probably  the 
Armenians  would  have  suffered  less  in  those  days 
of  misery  and  desolation. 

After  the  downfall  *of  the  Pagratid  kingdom, 
Armenia  was  the  prey  of  Seljak  Turks,  and  of  the 
Mongols,  who  invaded  Armenia  and  stifled  the 
spirit  of  independence  of  the  Armenians  living  in 
the  North.  Armenia  remained  for  ninety  years 
under  the  sway  of  the  Mongols,  with  whom 
Hetoum,  the  Armenian  king  of  Cilicia,  by  far- 
sighted  policy,  had  entered  into  alliance.  When 
the  Mongolian  empire  was  divided  into  different 
kingdoms,  Armenia  was  attached  by  the  surround- 
ing princes,  with  the  exception  of  the  Province  of 


174  ARMENIA. 

Soonik,  which  was  under  the  rule  of  the  Armenian 
native  prince  Orpelian. 

At  the  close  of  the  14th  century  Timour,  the 
Tartar,  devastated  Armenia.  In  our  sketch  of 
Armenian  history  we  cannot  reproduce  here  the 
atrocious  scenes  enacted  by  the  Tartar  Khan. 

After  the  death  of  Tartar  Khan,  the  Persians  and 
Turks  waged  war  almost  for  two  centuries  with  the 
view  of  taking  possession  of  poor  Armenia.  It  was 
during  this  epoch  of  blood  and  desolation  that  the 
Persian  king,  Shah  Abhas,  after  laying  waste  the 
country  and  burning  houses,  transported  by  force 
more  than  25,000  Armenian  families  to  Persia  near 
Spahan  (1605). 

In  the  beginning  of  the  18th  century,  Persia  was 
invaded  by  the  Emir  of  Afghanistan.  Some  bar- 
barian tribes  living  in  the  North,  availing  them- 
selves of  the  Persian  troubles,  began  to  attack  the 
Armenians.  At  that  time  in  certain  regions  of 
Armenia  (Arzak,  Soonik  and  Ondy),  Armenian  prin- 
ces had  large  domains;  their  relation  to  the  Persians 
was  that  of  vassals  to  feudal  lords ;  these  lords  were 
called  Meliks  and  their  power  was  hereditary.  The 
above-mentioned  invaders  were  driven  away  with 
success.  Besides,  some  patriots  of  Soonik,  during 
the  Persian  troubles,  invited  from  Virginia,  Davith 
Beg,  one  of  their  countrymen,  and  began  to  fight 
for  their  liberty.  Davith  succeeded  in  founding  an 
independent  government  (1721-1728).  His  suc- 
cessor, Makitar,  was  assassinated  by  traitors,  and 
the  Turks  put  an  end  to  the  new  power  (1729). 


ARMENIA.  175 

A  few  words  of  the  Armenian  Meliks  in  Kara- 
bagh. 

In  the  18th  century  these  Armenian  Meliks  de- 
cided, after  common  agreement,  to  shake  off  the 
Persian  yoke,  and  to  be  under  the  patronage  of  a 
Christian  government,  provided  their  privileges  and 
rights  on  the  subject  were  guaranteed. 

With  this  purpose  they  began  to  negotiate  with 
the  Russian  court  (1706).  Peter  the  Great  promised 
to  help  them ;  a  promise  which  he  was  not  able  to 
fulfil  on  account  of  his  premature  death.  For  the 
second  time  the  Armenian  Meliks  sent  a  secret  peti- 
tion (1787)  to  the  Russian  empress,  Catherine  II. 
At  last  the  Russians  marched  against  the  Persians ; 
and  the  Armenians  helped  them  greatly.  They 
fought  side  by  side  with  the  Russians  against  the 
common  enemy.  An  Armenian  bishop,  Nerses,  was 
the  leader  of  many  Armenians  volunteers  (1827) ; 
the  general  at  the  head  of  the  united  forces  of 
Russians  and  Armenians  was  Madatian,  an  Ar- 
menian, and  the  Persians  were  obliged  soon  to 
submit. 

By  the  Russo-Persian  treaty  a  part  of  Armenia 
was  added  to  Russia,  and  these  Armenians  were 
allowed  to  immigrate  unmolested  from  Persia  to 
Russia  (1828). 

Many  Armenians,  leaving  their  fatherland,  immi- 
grated to  different  countries,  such  as  Turkey,  Russia, 
Persia,  India,  Europe,  and  the  United  States  of 
America.     All  these  colonies  respectively  have  their 


176  AEMENIA. 

interesting  histories;   and  they  are,  generally,  ex- 
cept those  who  live  in  Turkey,  enjoying  prosperity. 

Armenians  in  Turkey. 

The  Turkish  Sultan,  Mahomet  II,  (fatih)  after 
the  downfall  of  the  Byzantine  empire,  appointed 
Hovagain,  the  bishop  of  Broussa,  as  Patriarch  of 
Armenians  in  Turkey  (1461). 

After  great  difficulties  they  succeeded  in  having 
adopted  a  Constitution  which  regulated  their  national 
and  religious  affairs  (1S60).  The  Armenians  for 
the  first  time  began  to  elect  and  send  their  deputies 
to  the  National  Assembly  at  Constantinople.  Ques- 
tions of  great  importance  were  discussed  there ;  the 
people  were  interested;  their  schools  were  improved; 
numerous  young  men  were  educated  in  European 
colleges ;  and  there  arose  many  rich  and  influential 
merchants,  bankers  and  other  prosperous  citizens 
among  the  Armenians.  The  Turks  could  not  toler- 
ate the  growth  and  the  progress  of  the  Armenians. 
They  began  to  do  everything  in  their  power  to  put  a 
stop  to  their  march  of  progress.  Christians  suffered 
much ;  and  at  last  the  Russian  government,  as  the 
protector  of  Christians  in  Turkey,  made  war  (1877); 
the  Turks  were  defeated  ;  and  according  to  the  16th 
article  of  Turko-Russian  treaty  at  San  Stefano,  the 
Sublime  Porte  promised  to  carry  out  reforms  de- 
manded by  local  requirements,  and  to  guarantee  the 


ARMENIA.  177 

security  of  the  Armenians  against  the  Kurds  and 
Circassians. 

The  Armenians  offered  a  memorial  to  the  Con- 
gress at  Berlin  asking  redress  for  their  griefs ;  the 
61st  article  of  the  treaty  reads  thus  : 

"  The  Sublime  Porte  undertakes  to  carry  out, 
without  further  delay,  the  improvements  and  reforms 
demanded  by  local  requirements  in  the  provinces 
inhabited  by  the  Armenians,  and  to  guarantee  their 
security  against  the  Circassians  and  Kurds.  It  will 
periodically  make  known  the  steps  taken  to  this 
effect  to  the  Powers,  who  will  superintend  their  ap- 
plication.^' 

We  reproduce  a  few  lines  from  an  article  written 
by  C.  B.  Norman,  special  correspondent  of  the  Lon- 
don Times,  giving  a  picture  of  the  desolate  condition 
of  the  Armenians  whose  security  the  Sultan  under- 
took to  guarantee  : 

"Desolation  reigns  throughout  Kurdistan  (the 
Turkish  government  is  trying  to  substitute  this 
word  for  historical  Armenia) ;  villages  deserted ; 
towns  abandoned;  trade  at  a  standstill ;  harvest 
ready  for  the  sickle,  but  none  to  gather  it  in  ;  hus- 
bands mourning  their  dishonored  wives;  parents 
their  murdered  children ;  and  this  is  not  the  work 
of  a  power  where  policy  of  selfish  aggression  no  man 
can  defend,  but  the  ghastly  acts  of  Turkey's  irregu- 
lar soldiers  on  Turkey's  most  peaceable  inhabitants; 
acts,  the  perpetration  of  which  are  well  known,  and 
yet  they  are  allowed  to  go  unpunished." 
12 


178  ARMENIA. 

We  will  not  stop  to  describe  the  atrocities  perpe- 
trated here  and  there  at  different  times.  At  last  the 
European  powers  began  to  urge  the  Turkish  Sultan 
to  fulfil  his  solemn  promises  to  introduce  reforms 
in  Armenia.  The  Turkish  Sultan  made  up  his  mind 
to  get  rid  of  the  Armenian  questions ;  and  his  plan 
was  to  exterminate  the  Armenians.  His  Majesty 
summoned  the  chiefs  of  the  Kurds  to  his  capital, 
presented  them  with  decorations,  banners,  uniforms 
and  military  titles,  sent  them  back  to  organize  their 
tribes  into  cavalry  regiments,  and  called  Hamidieh, 
to  crush  the  Armenians'  growth  and  spirit.  Non- 
Moslems  were  dismissed  from  every  branch  of  public 
service,  post,  telegraph,  custom-house,  engineering 
and  the  like. 

The  wholesale  massacre  of  Sassoun  took  place  by 
order  of  the  Sultan  (1894);  villages  of  the  whole 
district  were  wiped  out;  thousands  and  thousands 
were  butchered  in  a  most  terrible  manner ;  children 
were  frequently  held  up  by  the  hair  and  cut  in  two; 
women  with  child  were  ripped  open  ;  women  and 
girls  collected  in  churches  were  violated  by  the 
brutal  soldiers  and  there  murdered ;  and  young  men, 
covered  with  kerosene  oil,  were  set  on  fire ! 

What  is  called  the  Turkish  government  is  an 
organized  band  of  plunderers;  its  rule  cannot  be 
reformed ;  "  a  government  which  can  countenance 
and  cover  the  perpetration  of  such  outrages  is  a  dis- 
grace in  the  first  place  to  Mahomet,  the  prophet 
whom  it  professes  to  follow;  it  is  a  disgrace  to  civil- 


ARMENIA.  179 

ization  at  large;  and  it  is  a  curse  to  mankind"  (W. 
E.  Gladstone). 

The  Turkish  report  tliat  the  Armenians  had 
revolted  is  utterly  false.  The  Sultan  wanted  an 
excuse  to  exterminate  them ;  perhaps  two  or  three 
patriotic  young  men  were  unduly  active,  but  "the 
revolutionary  movement "  was  a  pretext  for  the  Sul- 
tan to  carry  out  his  plans  of  extermination  ;  and 
the  fine  hand  of  Russia  was  seen  in  the  whole 
affair.  Russia  wanted  Armenia  and  not  Arme- 
nians. 

Zeitoun. 

An  Armenian  community  lives  in  the  mountain 
regions  of  Cilicia.  Ten  villages  formed  a  sort  of 
confederation,  the  centre  of  which  were  Zeitoun  and 
Hajir.  They  were  governed  by  four  Armenian 
native  princes. 

The  Turkish  government,  unable  to  subdue  these 
hardy  mountaineers,  were  satisfied  with  an  annual 
tribute  as  a  sign  of  submission. 

We  enumerate  the  following  events  with  their 
dates. 

(1).  The  Mohammedan  fanatics  of  Marash  burned 
the  English  Consul,  his  wife  with  child  and  his  chil- 
dren in  their  home. 

The  people  of  Zeitoun,  enraged  at  this  atrocity, 
attacked  Marash,  which  they  took  ;  they  revenged 
the  death  of  the  dead ;  and  after  remaining  there  for 
one  year,  delivered  the  government  to  Osmar  Pasha, 


180  ARMENIA. 

a  native  of  Marasb,  and  then  went  back  to  their 
dwellings  (1857). 

(2).  Khourchid  Pasha,  encouraged  by  the  Mo- 
hammedan fanatics,  marched  at  the  head  of  irregu- 
lar soldiers  against  the  victorious  Armenians  in  their 
city;  who,  how^ever,  wishing  to  spare  him  the  fatigue 
of  going  up  to  Zeitoun,  met  him  at  the  plain  and 
defeated  him  (1859). 

(3).  Aziz  Pasha,  with  the  view  of  revenging  the 
defeats  of  '57-'59,  invaded  Zeitoun  with  44,000 
soldiers  ;  but  he  w^as  defeated  and  fled  to  Marash 
(1862).  Wliile  the  Turkish  government  was  mak- 
ing preparation  to  exterminate  Zeitoun,  with  the 
surrounding  villages,  the  Armenians  sent  a  deputy 
to  Paris  to  implore  the  protection  of  Napoleon  III. 
Peace  was  made,  with  conditions,  in  favor  of  the 
citizens  of  Zeitoun. 

(4).  The  four  princes  of  Zeitoun  were  banished 
to  Constantinople  by  the  Turkish  government ;  and 
for  the  first  time  the  Turks  establish  there  a  govern- 
ment. The  people  suffered  much,  and  after  one  year 
the  exiles,  deprived  of  their  rights,  were  sent  back. 

(5).  The  Turks  continued  their  rule  of  oppression 
(1866-1878) ;  the  mountaineers  wished  to  shake  off 
the  Turkish  yoke ;  and  they  did  so  in  the  following 
way : 

The  Kaimakan,  Davard  Niezi,  killed  his  Arme- 
nian servant ;  the  Armenians  attacked  the  govern- 
ment house,  but  the  Kaimakan  had  already  fled. 
Kanil  Pasha,  the  governor  of  Aleppo,  hearing  of  the 


ARMENIA.  181 

troubles  at  Zeitoun,  marched  against  the  rebels,  but 
he  was  defeated. 

(6).  A  committee  of  investigation  went  to  Zeitoun, 
as  if  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  people ;  but 
a  fortress  was  built  on  a  hill  twenty  minutes  distant 
from  Zeitoun  (1879-1880);  and  preparations  were 
made  to  attack  the  city. 

(7).  The  government  thrice  set  fire  to  Zeitoun 
(1876,  1884,  1887);  but  the  Armenians  clung  to 
their  rocks  and  did  not  descend  to  the  plain  as  the 
government  wished  them  to  do. 

(8).  Zeitoun  was  again  in  trouble  in  1890;  50 
prisoners,  among  whom  were  two  bishops,  a  priest 
and  a  teacher,  were  sent  to  Aleppo.  They  suifered 
for  five  years  in  a  filthy  dungeon. 

(9).  The  inhabitants  of  Zeitoun,  hearing  of  the 
general  slaughter  in  Armenia,  took  arms  in  self- 
defense.  The  Turkish  garrison  was  besieged,  and  in 
spite  of  its  favorable  position  it  was  taken.  Regu- 
lar soldiers  in  troops  were  then  sent ;  they  were  all 
defeated  ;  the  garrison  was  burnt  down  ;  and  the 
kind  and  noble  treatment  of  their  prisoners  by  the 
Armenians  is  worthy  of  praise.  The  Sultan  sent 
orders  to  destroy  Zeitoun ;  but  the  Turkish  armies, 
strong  as  they  were,  suffered  great  loss,  and  they 
failed  to  take  Zeitoun. 

At  last  the  European  powers  intervened  ;  Con- 
suls were  sent  there ;  peace  was  established  ;  and 
agreement  was  reached  upon  certain  conditions.  One 
of  these  was  the  appointment  of  a  Christian  gover- 


182  ARMENIA. 

nor  over  Zeitoun,  to  which  condition  the  Sultan 
gave  his  consent. 

Suddenly  his  Majesty  appointed  a  Turkish  Bey 
as  governor  of  Zeitoun  !  Probably  the  Sultan  is 
now  looking  for  a  pretext  to  destroy  Zeitoun.  His 
merciless  agents  have  already  begun  to  press  the 
people  for  the  arrears  of  taxes.  What  will  the  con- 
sequences be?  These  persecuted  people  are  now 
undergoing  the  most  cruel  treatment ;  and  as  they 
are  disarmed,  according  to  the  Turkish  law,  they 
have  no  means  of  defense. 

They  are  descendants  of  the  Armenians  who  have 
more  than  once  helped  European  Crusaders  with 
provisions  and  troops ;  and  they  fought  with  them 
against  the  Mohammedan  Sultans. 

AlaSj  they  are  now  alone  in  their  life  and  death 
struggle !  Will  the  Christian  world  remain  silent 
and  inactive? 


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THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


AUa  141936 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  UBRARY 


